Acting - Classical, MA

Course information

Duration
1 year, full time
Course start
September
Award
Master of Arts in Acting (180 credits)

Apply buttons

Apply here:

About this course

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.

Accordion

  • Course Detail

    Indicative course content includes:

    In the first term, the ensemble principle is nurtured through four weeks of practical work on the choruses of ancient Greek tragedy, neutral mask and intensive physical and vocal training. Texts may derive from adaptations of Greek plays from a variety of cultural traditions, and exercises from different experimental theatre methodologies; focus is on the physicality and musicality of dramatic text. Accompanying contextual seminars address the social and political histories and discourses of classical drama from antiquity to the present day, including those relating to identity, ownership, appropriation and colonialism.

    For the subsequent ten weeks, practical classes in commedia dell’arte, clowning and stage combat accompany Shakespearean scene studies. You will work on narrative structure and storytelling, textual form, heightened realism, character analysis, gesture and movement psychology, animal study, and the actor’s relationship to the audience and to space. Vocal and physical training and contextual and theoretical seminars continue throughout the term. Practical assessments, showings and feedback panels take place at the end of term, and individual personal guidance from tutors is available throughout the year.

    In the second term, the training focuses on the revolutionary Realist and Expressionist dramas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and their contemporary legacy. Underpinning the work are the theories and practices of Stanislavsky and his Russian and American successors, and the psycho-physical methodologies of Rudolph Laban and Yat Malmgren. During the term students work on character preparation and transformation, developing one devised and one text-based character study, and undertaking a rehearsal exercise of scenes from a Chekhov or other realist play. Practical assessments, showings and feedback panels take place at the end of term.

    The course’s outward-facing work begins after the mid-session break with an industry showcase, either filmed or in a professional theatre venue. Screen acting classes help to prepare you for auditions for TV and film.

    The public productions season involves participation in two professionally-supported productions of classical plays either in Central’s theatres or external theatre spaces. One of these will usually be an early modern text; in recent years plays by Shakespeare, Aphra Behn, John Ford and Thomas Middleton have been produced. The other might be a play from the Realist, Expressionist, Greek, Restoration, Romantic or Modernist tradition; in recent years plays by Chekhov, Gorky, Schiller, Erdman, Whiting, Bond, Sophocles and Euripides have been produced. Both productions will be chosen and cast to suit the particular character of the cohort, and to both challenge and showcase the individual students.

    Throughout the practical training, you will work on a Sustained Independent Project (SIP), which may take the form of either: a solo performance with a 4000-word critical reflection; or a 12000-word dissertation.

    Assessment

    Formative assessment is through a mixture of practical tasks, including showings of prepared scenes and structured improvisations, filmed performance, and theatre performance; in addition continuous assessment is reflective of your effort, attitude and improvement in class. You will also undertake a Sustained Independent Project (SIP), which may include elements of solo performance and critical writing.

  • Entry Requirements and Auditions

    Applicants will normally have either undertaken conservatoire training, have professional acting experience, or have a degree in the broad field of performance and drama studies. Students from other disciplines may be considered if you have sufficient experience of theatre. An offer will normally only be made after audition and interview, and you may also be required to take part in a short practical workshop and/or submit a short piece of written work.

    We particularly encourage applications from groups currently under-represented in higher education, such as students with disabilities and members of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups. Find out more information on Central’s commitment to equality and diversity.

    English Language Requirements

    Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to prove their English language proficiency by gaining an overall score of 7.0 in an IELTS test. We do accept equivalent English language qualifications.

    While a test result is not required in order to submit an application, applicants are advised to gain this certification as early as possible and more information can be found through the English Language Requirements page. 

    Auditions

    We invite all applicants for MA Acting to audition. Applicants will be considered for both the Classical and Contemporary strands. The process will give you the opportunity to learn more about the course and the School. 

    We will invite you to submit a self-tape including the following elements:

    • Two contrasting speeches of your own choice lasting no more than two minutes each. One of these must be from an Elizabethan or Jacobean play, the other a 20th or 21st century modern piece. 

    Please note you will book yourself onto a self-tape submission deadline, and receive further instructions via an automated email. Note also that even if you share your tape with us prior to the deadline you have booked, it will not be viewed by the panel until after that date has passed.

    Selected candidates will be invited to attend a recall audition and interview at a later date, and may also be asked to submit a short piece of written work (again at a later date) to demonstrate their aptitude for the course.

    We strongly recommend candidates ensure their first-round video link remains ‘live’ until they have received a final decision from Central (ie. an offer or unsuccessful decision) as the panel may wish to revisit this to help them make a decision.

    All candidates will be informed of the outcome of their audition via email. 

    International Applicants

    Central regularly welcomes students from all over the world – and we are proud to have a large network of alumni working internationally.

    Visit our International Students pages for advice and information on studying at Central and living in London, if you’re not a home applicant.

    There is no formal application deadline for our MA courses. Applications are assessed, and places offered on courses, on a rolling basis, and applications are closed when a course becomes full. Therefore, you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

    • Industry Links

      Both faculty and visiting lecturers have extensive professional practice and networks. In recent years, Classical students have participated in research symposia at Central, Kings College London and Shakespeare’s Globe; observed rehearsal and taken part in a focus group at the Almeida Theatre; worked on three Shakespeare films with Illuminations Media; worked on R&D for several new translations of European and Latin American plays; and performed at the Brighton Festival. In addition to the MA Acting showcase, students from Ireland and the USA have participated in showcases in Dublin, New York and Los Angeles.

      Our alumni have worked at major theatres, and on screen, worldwide (see below); in addition six alumni have performed with Mischief Theatre, and eighteen alumni have appeared in various productions at Pop-Up Globe in New Zealand and Australia.

    • Recent Visiting Professionals

      • Riz Ahmed
      • Vicky Araico
      • John Caird
      • Liraz Chamami
      • Ally Cologna
      • Inua Ellams
      • Michael Grandage CBE
      • Paul Harris
      • Stephen Hudson
      • Robert Icke
      • Adrian Lester
      • Sir Ian McKellen
      • Hannah Miller (Head of Casting, RSC)
      • Anna Morrissey
      • Jenny Ogilvie
      • Thomas Ostermeier
      • Jeff Perry
      • Nadine Rennie CDG
      • Ian Rickson
      • Ginny Schiller CDG
      • Dame Janet Suzman DBE
      • Prof Sergei Tcherkasski
      • Prof Sir Stanley Wells CBE
      • Mark Wheatley
    • Notable Graduates

      In only 10 years the MA Acting course has built up an impressive alumni list including:

      Riz Ahmed (2006) Winner of the 2017 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for HBO’s The Night Of.  Film credits include Una, Rogue One, Jason Bourne, Nightcrawler, Ill ManorsThe Reluctant Fundamentalist, The Road To Guantanamo, Shifty and Four Lions. He has been nominated for several British Independent Film Awards and a BAFTA Rising Star Award. As Riz MC and as part of the Swet Shop Boys, he is also an accomplished rapper, having performed at Glastonbury and the ENO, and worked with Asian Dub Foundation.

      Jasmine Blackborow Screen credits include Shadow and Bone, School’s Out Forever, The Protector and Aamir. Theatre includes Desdemona in Othello at Pop-up Globe in NZ and Australia. Jasmine has also recorded numerous audiobooks.

      Marc Bosch (2018)TV credits include The Split (BBC) and Sky Rojo (Netflix). Theatre includes Justicia (National Theatre of Catalonia, Barcelona) and GHBoy.

      Zoe Boyle (2006) TV credits include Downton Abbey, Breathless and Sons Of Anarchy. Theatre includes productions for the RSC, Royal Court, The Old Vic and West Yorkshire Playhouse.

      Jamie Cameron (2013) Theatre credits include Once (West End), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Day of the Living, We Are Arrested (RSC), Carmen Disruption (Almeida) and A Christmas Carol (Old Vic).

      Lara Jean Chorostecki (2008) Film credits include Antiviral and Please Kill Mr Know It All. TV credits include The Expanse, Condor, X Company, Designated Survivor, HannibalCamelotDan For Mayor and Copper.

      Elicia Daly (2007) Theatre credits include Her Naked Skin (NT), and The Beautiful Cosmos Of Ivor Cutler (Vanishing Point/NTS) for which she won Best Actress at the 2014 Critics Award for Theatre Scotland.

      Matthew Darcy (2012) Theatre credits include King Lear (NT), Electra (Old Vic), Farinelli and the King and Lady Windermere’s Fan (West End).

      Konstantinos Kavakiotis (2008) As well as working extensively in London, Konstantinos played the title role in Macbeth at the National Theatre of Northern Greece.

      George Kemp (2012) Extensive credits in Australia include Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead and Cyrano de Bergerac (STC), The Play That Goes Wrong (Australian tour), As You Like It and Henry V at Pop-up Globe in Auckland and Melbourne, andOthello (Sport for Jove), as Roderigo alongside James Haxby (2017) as Iago.

      Harriet Madeley (2011) Harriet’s debut play, The Listening Room (Stratford East/BBC Radio 4), received stellar reviews and an Off West End nomination; her verbatim drama has been produced at Theatr Clwyd, Northern Stage and the Soho Theatre. Screen acting credits include The Facility, House of Shadows and Waking David.

      James McNicholas (2008) is one-third of the acclaimed comedy sketch troupe Beasts, as well as appearing regularly in Horrible Histories. He also writes and broadcasts about Arsenal FC.

      Christopher O’Shea (2009) Chris’ major TV and film credits include GoneMadam Secretary, Baby Daddy and Patriots’ Day; theatre includes work at Shakespeare’s Globe, the Old Vic and Stoppard’s The Hard Problem (Lincoln Center, NYC premiere).

      Kitty Paitazoglou (2011) and Erato Pissi (2012) both play leading roles at the National Theatre of Greece.

      Natalie Perera (2011) Natalie’s film credits include Bazodee and Der Koch, and she also wrote and starred in the acclaimed short National Anthems.

      Martiño Rivas (2011) Martino’s many film and TV credits include Cable GirlsI Know Who You Are, and Blind Sunflowers (nominated for a GOYA for Best New Actor). He also played Romeo in a Spanish film version of Shakespeare’s play, and has worked extensively with Madrid’s award-winning Téatro Kamikaze.

      Elizabeth Sankey (2008) is lyricist and singer of the band Summer Camp, and directed the acclaimed documentary film Romantic Comedy.

      Patricia Summersett (2009) has extensive film and TV credits including MotherBellevue and The Bold Type, and voices Princess Zelda in the video game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

      Brittany N Williams (2011) Actor, singer, cultural critic and comedian Brittany was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for her work on Three Little Birds (Washington DC and New York), and has extensive theatre credits across the US.

    • Recent Graduate Employment

      Our graduates have performed in leading theatre venues worldwide including national and international tours, West End and Broadway.  

      UK: National Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland, English National Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare’s Globe, Almeida, Donmar, Royal Court, Old Vic, Young Vic, Stratford East, Bush, Gate, Finborough, Southwark Playhouse, Kiln, Arcola, Vaults, Theatre 503, Theatr Clwyd, Sheffield Crucible, Leeds Playhouse, Liverpool Everyman, Manchester Royal Exchange, Hull Truck, Northern Broadsides, Northern Stage, Sonia Friedman Productions, Mischief Theatre, Flute Theatre, HighTide, Paines Plough, The Factory, Secret Cinema.

      International: National Theatre of Norway, National Theatre of Greece, National Theatre of Northern Greece, Rome National Theatre, National Theatre of Spain, National Classical Theatre of Spain, National Theatre of Catalonia, Festival de Almagro, Lincoln Center (New York); Goodman Theatre (Chicago), Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival (Canada), Cameri Theatre (Tel Aviv), Pop-up Globe, Sydney Theatre Company, Sport for Jove (Australia/NZ).

      Screen includes major UK, US and international films, and TV productions by BBC, ITV, Channel 4, NBC, HBO, Netflix, Amazon, Sky, FX, Starz, ABC, S4C.

      Graduates have also worked as writers, directors, designers, filmmakers, producers, agents, musicians, singers, scholars, comedians, acting teachers, acrobats and dancers.

      • Tuition Fees, Bursaries and Scholarships

        Tuition Fees for 2024 Entry

        UK (Home) students: £22,750*
        Overseas students: £27,500

        Please note that there may be additional costs that you need to incur as part of the training for the course.

        Full information is available on the Tuition Fees and Additional Costs page.


        Bursaries and Scholarships

        Central offers a range of bursaries and scholarships. If you are holding an offer for a place on a course then you will be invited to apply for a bursary or scholarship.

        *If you are a UK student but already hold a qualification at the equivalent or higher level to the one that you are applying for, then you may be classed as an ELQ student and be required to pay the same fee as an overseas student.

      Student Feedback

      “Central guided me from a place of blind enthusiasm to one of diligent craft, providing me with the solid foundations I needed over the coming years. My course leaders showed such belief and patience towards us, and built such trust, that I ultimately followed them into this unknown territory. I grew more in that one year than I could have ever imagined.”

      Riz Ahmed

      Graduated 2006, appeared in Nightcrawler, Jason Bourne and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and received an Emmy Award for Best Actor as Naz in HBO’s The Night Of.

      Staff On The Course

      Visiting Lecturers

      • Mark Bell
      • Andrei Biziorek
      • Rachel Bown-Williams
      • Natasha Federova
      • Anna Healey
      • Ingrid Mackinnon
      • Tom McClane

      Students On The Course

      Céline has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      Céline Barclay

      Jarod has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      Jarod Brock

      Céline has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      hs2

      Keegan has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      Blonde woman, facing straight on, wearing black v neck t shirt

      Sarah has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      Sarah Chamberlain

      Lara has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      headshot white shirt

      Georgie has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      Georgie Dettmer

      Sam has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      Samantha Ipema

      Auryn has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      Auryn Jones Headshot

      Charlie has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      Headshot Update

      Emily has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      Photograph of Emily Rule: white woman with short, curly brown hair and green eyes

      Lewis has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      Lewis Senel

      Paul has completed their studies on MA Acting - Classical and is due to graduate in 2024.

      Paul Storrs

      Course Video

      Share this page