Acting - Classical
| Award | Attendance | Study | Duration | Start | Domestic fees | International fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA | On-Campus | Full-time | - 1 years | January | £22750 per year | £27500 per year |
Current fees for The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama can be found here: https://www.cssd.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/tuition-fees-and-additional-costs
About Acting - Classical, MA - at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
MA Acting Classical at Central is a creatively, physically and intellectually demanding, advanced-level conservatoire acting programme. It is designed primarily for students with previous training or performance experience who wish to focus intensively on plays from the European classical repertoire.
- Perform in two professionally supported public productions and an industry showcase
- Hone the individual technical craft of the actor, and release your collaborative and imaginative creativity within a small and diverse ensemble company (typically 14-16 students)
- Learn through practical group classes in acting, movement, voice and stage combat; seminars on theatre history, dramatic theory and research skills; and individual tutorials and feedback panels.
The Classical training follows the development of the theatrical art from its earliest ritual and political roots to the birth of psychological naturalism:
> Greek Tragedy, Chorus and the Mask
> Clowning and Commedia dell’arte
> Shakespeare and early modern English drama
> Stanislavsky, the Method, Realism and Expressionism.
The structure of the course draws on the hugely influential theories of the great French acting teacher Michel Saint-Denis, training the expressive body, voice and imagination. Methodologies are drawn from a range of European and other theatrical thinkers: from Stanislavsky and his inheritors Vakhtangov, Demidov, Adler, Hagen, Meisner and Strasberg; from the physical theatre, improvisation and mask work of Lecoq and Johnstone; from the psycho-physical expressionism of Laban and Meyerhold; from the post-Brechtian and post-Grotowskian experimental traditions; and from radical contemporary dramaturgical practices. Working with some of the greatest dramatic texts ever written, you are asked to consider what they mean now, and how their 21st century reinterpretation and re-imagining still holds a ‘mirror up to nature’.
You are encouraged to understand the demands of both art and craft as participants in the European theatrical tradition; and to envision the recreation and reimagining of that tradition for the future. The course rests on three structural pillars, three key moments of dramatic innovation and social transition, encountered in chronological order: Greek theatre, early modern English theatre, and 19th/20th century Russian and European theatre.
Entry requirements
Contact Royal Central School of Speech and Drama to find course entry requirements.
Why study at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Specialist conservatoire training
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (Central) is a member of the University of London and one of the UK’s leading drama schools. Based in Swiss Cottage, London, Central offers specialist conservatoire-style training across performance, practice and production, preparing students for careers in theatre, film, TV and live events.
A focused learning environment
Central is a small, specialist institution, which means students benefit from small class sizes, close contact with tutors, and intensive practical training. Teaching is led by experienced practitioners and academics, with learning shaped around professional practice and real-world creative processes.
Career-focused education
At Central, future careers are built into the curriculum. Students graduate as specialists in their chosen field, with strong professional insight, industry experience and a clear understanding of how the creative industries work. Central’s long history and strong industry links help students build connections and develop sustainable careers across the performing arts.
Professional facilities and London location
Students train in specialist studios, rehearsal spaces and production facilities, including performance venues and technical workshops. Central’s London location places students close to the heart of the UK’s creative industries, offering access to theatres, production companies and professional opportunities throughout their studies.