Why Train at ALRA?

ALRA is a leading conservatoire drama school with a reputation for training hard working, fully-rounded professional actors. Our acting training includes specialist instruction in stage, film, TV, audio, comedy, voice and movement and is supported with contextual studies to prepare for work. We have built strong relationships within the industry and our showcases and productions are directed and attended by agents, directors, casting directors, writers, producers and our own inspiring alumni.

ALRA’s resident teams are dedicated, talented professionals with a wealth of knowledge and experience and a passion for teaching, who support our students in all aspects of their studies. Our reputation of securing opportunities for students grows each year and our alumni are working in the West End, regional and touring theatre productions, as well as in film, TV and comedy in the UK and beyond. We recruit a comparatively small number of students each year so that everybody has our full attention and feels part of the school from the moment they arrive.

Welfare and the School Environment

During induction you will be given information about healthy eating, safety, living as a student, money management and anything else you might need to survive life as a student. We operate a triage service for students who may need the support of a counselling service. This means a trained counsellor will talk to you before suggesting which route to take. Schools are like families and like every family there will be disagreements. We have a range of strategies in place to help when things get difficult and any ALRA staff member will be able to direct you to the right person. Our ‘open door’ policy is exactly that, walk in and talk to someone and get it fixed rather than allowing a problem to build in isolation.

When choosing a drama school, it’s important to think carefully about the size of school you’d like to go to. ALRA is one of the smaller schools with a student body of around 160 at each campus. This means everybody gets to know everybody else, and the staff and students have a strong working relationship. There is an open door policy in the ALRA offices – students pop in all the time with queries and concerns, or just to have a bit of a catch-up.

Delivery

The difference is in the delivery of our programmes. So what type of actor do you want to be? ALRA is the only school to offer a combined theatre and television training throughout the programme – starting in week one. All our tutors have connections and experience within theatre, Film and TV. Directors of final productions are all professional practitioners with a current CV. Contact time is around 35 hours a week; our ideal group size is 14, and best of all, your work will be seen in two major theatre centres – London and Manchester.

Location

Going to Drama School or University is as much about the social life as about the training and education, so it is important to consider where you are going to live for the next two or three years of your life; many students stay in the area when they graduate. You might want the big city and bright lights; you might want a quieter life – it’s a personal choice and only you know which is best for you. With ALRA South and ALRA North – you can choose city life or town life within reach of the countryside. However – both have easy access to theatre centres of excellence.

Extra-Curricular

At the end of each teaching block there are a range of extra-curricular activities and these are chosen to compliment your studies. In addition there will be a variety of other opportunities during your time at ALRA and we will keep you informed as we go through.

Professional Collaborations

To ensure the experience is as close as we can get to the professional world, we collaborate with many professional companies either to produce work or to provide opportunities for you to work in a professional environment. This could be a collaborative production in your final year or working as a supernumerary during your course.