Page 237 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21

15 October 2020

For many, British drama schools are beacons of excellence, whose training has led
to fulfilling careers, but for others they have become symbols of all that is wrong
with British theatre. The heads of some of the UK’s most prestigious schools speak
to Lyn Gardner about finding the balance between tradition and change

Actor Simon Callow says that going to the Drama Centre in London in the 1970s
“was the best thing that ever happened to me” and that he owes the institution “an
awful lot”. He is not alone. Many who have trained at British drama schools over the
past 50 years have benefited from their training and valued it, finding that what they
learned in a church hall in Chalk Farm or a rehearsal room on the Talgarth Road has
stood them in good stead over long careers and within a changing industry. Many
speak with affection and passion about their drama school experiences. “It was
tough, really tough,” recalls Callow, “but it gave me the tools I use to this day.”