News: Project A at Theatre Royal

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GREEN LIGHT GIVEN FOR SECOND YEAR OF THEATRE’S ACTOR TRAINING PROGRAMME 

Newcastle Theatre Royal has announced it will be continuing its dedicated actor training programme, Project A, following a successful inaugural year.

The first programme of its kind in the North East of England, Project A is a course dedicated to actor training, offering practical and theoretical instruction to young aspiring actors aged 18-25 years old who are looking to make a serious career as an actor.

The course runs over three terms in an academic year and includes vocal, physical and performance skills training as well as specialist training including Meisner technique, improvisation, acting for screen and stage combat. 

A number of industry professionals were engaged with the course in the first year and have been so impressed that they have committed to return. They include: Professor Ros Steen, a voice coach and former head of the Centre for Voice in Performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; Michael Corbidge, an esteemed voice associate with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Adam Stadius, an acting coach and Meisner technique specialist. Students on the course will also have the chance to meet with professionals from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and the RSC.

Kim Hoffmann, Head of Learning at Newcastle Theatre Royal, who said: “Our aim was to offer first class actor training right here in the North East in a way that hadn’t been done before and the first year of the course has been a real success with those students taking part having all grown so much in both confidence and their skill sets.

“We are so grateful to all of the specialists who worked with us this year and delighted that next year we will be welcoming back some of the biggest names in the actor training industry to share their skills with the next intake of students.”

Student Christopher Rushmere-York said: “Coming into Project A I was nervous and full of doubt about myself, however within a couple of weeks of the course I found my confidence skills getting better and my personality shining through.”

Kim added: “Places on the Project A course cost students just £1500 for the year. We have tried to keep costs as low as possible in order to ensure that the top quality training we provide is accessible to as many young people as possible. The real cost of the course to us is over £7,000 per student and we are only able to offer this heavily subsidised fee thanks to the generosity of The Barber Foundation and support of the Board of Trustees of the Theatre Royal, for which we are extremely grateful.”

Applications for Project A are now being from students who must be aged 18-25 with acting experience. Details and a downloadable application pack can be found at www.theatreroyal.co.uk/taking-part/project-a