Jump-start your training as an actor with our practical course for 17-20 year olds

Details TBC.

Duration: 1 year (part-time)
Time: Saturdays 3.15-6.30pm

Tutor: Francesca McInally

Apply online now

Introduction

Ready to take your acting future seriously? This course will set you on track for wherever you want to take your acting next.


If you’ve done youth theatre, this course provides the groundwork needed before going on to our Foundation Course in Acting. If you’ve not done any actor training before, then this course will introduce you to the craft and commitment you’ll need to pursue a future on stage.

Term 1: The Actor’s Creative Journey

You’ll learn the basics of artistic creation and expression, and be introduced to the methods developed by famous practitioners such as Stanislavski and Meisner. 

Each week you’ll devise new content by creating original circumstances, scenes and scenarios. You’ll learn how to deliver long-form improvisation – performing together with other actors for over an hour within the space of the classroom.

Over these first 12 weeks you’ll learn the foundations of how to develop ‘a state of aliveness’ so that you can instinctively respond to your surroundings and to other actors – physically, emotionally and verbally.

Term 2: Bringing a Text to Life

This term is all about working on a script and building to a performance. Everything you’ve learnt in the first term will now be applied to specific scenes and plays.

In order to broaden your knowledge of what is possible on stage, you’ll get the chance to explore different styles of theatre: from restoration and melodrama, to Shakespeare, the theatre of the absurd, as well as modern styles.

Each week you’ll be working on specific scripts, rehearsing and developing your performance skills. The term will culminate in a performance on stage at The Questors Theatre.

Term 3: Character Development & Devising a Play

In the final term you’ll learn the key techniques needed to develop authentic and realistic characters. You’ll put everything you’ve learnt so far into performance.

You’ll further develop your skills in devising imaginative scenes and have the opportunity to write new pieces of theatre. 

Each week you’ll be rehearsing and performing. And at the end of the year you’ll deliver a performance to the public in the annual student ‘Look-In’ – our student showcase. 

Questors Membership

As a Questors student you enjoy all the facilities and benefits of membership of The Questors, including free tickets to all productions year-round (except the Christmas panto and visiting companies).

Why take this course at The Questors?

The Questors is not just a training academy but a fully-operational theatre complex, which produces and performs plays nearly every week of the year. Whilst studying you’ll be exposed to the casts and crews of different productions and get opportunities to work backstage on productions.

Through the year we organise theatre trips together, plus you’ll also get to meet and socialise with other students taking advanced acting courses at our academy.

What can I do after this course?

Many students who complete Young Studio go on to our Foundation Course in Acting. Others go on to study drama and theatre at university or drama schools.

Those that continue to develop their acting skills go on to perform on stage – particularly in Questors productions.  Whether you desire to be a professional actor in future, or you want to build your skill as stage performer, Young Studio is the place to start.

Entry requirements

Prior training in acting is not necessary. All applicants attend an audition and interview where they can demonstrate their acting potential and commitment to developing their performance skills.

The course is open to 17-20 year olds. If you are 18 or over, you can apply for both the Foundation Course in Acting and Young Studio.

How to apply

Complete the online application form. All applicants will be invited a friendly audition. It's not competitive - we just want to find out what your experience is and see how much you can benefit from the course. It doesn't matter if you have no experience at all - if you have the potential and commitment.

You should start preparing for your audition as soon as you have applied. For your audition you should prepare two short pieces, each lasting about two minutes and contrasting in style. These pieces should be from a play, and preferably a single speech. There is no requirement that one should be Shakespeare. Choose pieces that appeal to you and which you feel you can get into – and learn them by heart. You will also be asked to act an impromptu scene.

Apply online now