MFA Professional Acting

Applicants would normally be expected to have an undergraduate degree in a related subject area such as drama, acting, theatre studies or performance studies. However, applicants with extensive relevant professional experience will also be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please see our School website for further details of the selection process and for English language requirements.

This course is a rigorous, intensive and unique actor training programme, available to students who are seeking graduate-level study at a leading UK conservatoire. With a cohort of just 8 students, the programme provides a bespoke approach to meet the individual needs of each actor, and allows you to gain your Master of Fine Arts (MFA) qualification in just one year.

You’ll develop your skills as an actor, perform in a professional-standard theatre production for the public, and hone your acting to camera and voiceover skills at the School’s film and recorded media department, before preparing for your industry launch.

During this intensive MFA course, you’ll strengthen your creative process as an actor by taking a range of integrated modules covering vocal and physical development. The curriculum you follow will typically cover voice, accent, singing, movement, yoga, Alexander technique, period movement, dance and combat. A range of in-house text projects will help you develop a coherent, self-managed and dynamic approach to interpreting dramatic text. There is a substantial focus on the classical British and European repertoire in the course, with close attention given to a practical exploration of Shakespearean text in performance.

In the summer term, you’ll perform in a professional-standard public production, normally drawn from British or European theatre and supported by design, stage management and costume students at the School. You’ll also work on a screen and audio showreel, and complete a reflective performance journal as you become an independent artist, capable of realising your unique ambitions.

Because the course is restricted to just 8 students, you will find that our staff provide a highly individualised approach throughout all your group classes, text projects and rehearsals; you will learn and hone your craft together as a close-knit, small ensemble which celebrates the unique story each actor has to tell. This course is structured to allow you to gain your MFA in one intensive year; as such you will have a shorter spring vacation and an extended summer term compared to students on the School’s other courses.

For further information, please visit the School website at oldvic.ac.uk.