A former European Capital of Culture and home to theatrical venues ranging from the illustrious Empire to the boundary-breaking Unity, Liverpool’s thriving creative community has helped produce acting icons such as Jodie Comer, Jason Isaacs, and Paul McGann.
Many leading acting schools feed into the city’s rich cultural landscape, offering everything from full undergraduate degrees to specialised short courses. Here’s an overview of our top five acting schools in Liverpool to help you choose the right one for your needs.
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Co-founded by Paul McCartney, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) emphasises project-based learning and collaboration. Students from diverse creative disciplines conceive and create productions from start to finish, gaining an expansive understanding of the creative process that replicates real-world industry practices.
LIPA’s acting courses include:
- Foundation Acting (Stage and Screen)
- Foundation Acting (Musical Theatre)
- BA Acting
- BA Acting (Contemporary Performance)
- BA Acting (Musical Theatre)
- BA Acting (Musicianship)
- BA Acting (Screen and Digital)
- MA Acting
Students are also encouraged to pursue their own projects, and funding and support is available for shows and startups both before and after graduation. They have already contributed over £300,000 to students and graduates for “a variety of businesses from theatre in education companies to bands, arts centres, and hire companies.”
LIPA alumni boast a slew of top industry awards. Among the school’s successful graduates are theatre director Jamie Lloyd and actor Jak Malone, who won Olivier Awards for Sunset Boulevard and Operation Mincemeat, respectively. Other alumni include Leanne Best of Cold Feet (2016–2020) and Madeline Appiah of In the Long Run (2018–2020).
How to apply
LIPA applicants must submit a self-tape or attend an audition or interview. Beyond educational qualifications, applicants are assessed for six key attributes: knowledge, ability, and experience; commitment; ability to work effectively with others; broad interest and engagement; self-awareness; and spirit of enterprise.
Liverpool Hope University’s School of Creative and Performing Arts combines academic learning with the chance to apply different approaches and techniques to acting for stage and screen.
The newly expanded creative campus features its own film viewing gallery, purpose-built arts centre, exhibition space, and theatre, and the faculty includes internationally recognised scholars and practitioners versed in core principles of classical and contemporary acting. Terry Molloy (The Archers, Doctor Who) and Heather Craney (Vera Drake, Life of Riley) are both former students.
Ongoing professional support is equally important. Yearlong and short-term placements offer real-world experience and a vital first step into the industry. Visiting acting agents supply industry insights, and formal working relationships with Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse theatres present further opportunities.
Course options include:
- BA Acting
- BA Drama
- BA Drama and Theatre
- BA Musical Theatre
- MA Contemporary Performance
How to apply
No auditions are required, but you’ll need at least 104 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of two A Levels. Beyond academics, Liverpool Hope wants applicants who are “looking to be intellectually stretched, stimulated, and challenged in their studies.”
If higher education doesn’t appeal to you, Merseyside Academy of Drama’s four 10-week acting courses may be the ticket. They provide practical experience for aspiring performers with little to no formal drama training or those hoping to refresh and develop their existing skills. Courses include:
- Acting for Beginners, which introduces basic acting techniques ideal for people new to the craft.
- Script Analysis, which coaches students to explore and understand scripts and character motivations.
- Finding the Truth, which helps performers forge strong emotional connections with their characters.
- Theatre Training Company, which refines your techniques and prepares you for further performance opportunities.
Additional 10-week courses for greater specialisation include:
How to apply
The drama classes are open to adult applicants regardless of experience – enthusiasm is what counts. Instructors include theatre director Emma Bird, who has helmed several productions at Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre, and actors Charlie De’Ath (The Last Detective, A Touch of Frost) and Becci Jackson (Sweeney Todd, Desdemona).
Co-owned by megastar Robbie Williams, the Liverpool Media Academy (LMA) is a multidisciplinary performing arts institution for students of drama, music, dance, production, and digital gaming art.
Accredited BA degree programmes offer a strong grounding in acting for radio, stage, screen, and even video games. There are opportunities for live performances throughout the course, which is a chance to grow comfortable acting in front of an audience and earn credits for your show reel. If you’re seeking long-term Liverpool acting classes but aren’t ready for an undergraduate degree, LMA’s two-year extended diploma (equivalent to three A Levels) is a good option.
LMA’s annual You Festival is particularly noteworthy, featuring conferences, panels, and workshops from Sky, ITV Academy, Channel 4, Edinburgh Fringe, and Little Dot Studios. “LMA have always placed a huge importance on exposing our students to those in the industry,” says CEO Richard Wallace. “But we wanted to go one better, to create something that genuinely brings you in the same room as these people, allows you to chat, to be spotted, and to really be inspired.”
Acting graduate Claudia Greer valued her experience at LMA. “My time at LMA has given me so much joy and knowledge and helped me find who I am as an actor,” she says. “I’ve only just graduated and I’ve been working nonstop, for Channel 4 and Channel Dave, and now I’m opening up my own acting association, Acting with Claudia.”
How to apply
Prospective students must meet LMA’s educational requirements (currently 96 points UCAS points for the BA) and attend a digital audition.
Looking to combine your acting education with other commitments? ActUpNorth offers 12- to 16-week terms comprising one two-hour class per week on weekday evenings in order for attendees to plan their studies around full-time employment.
Expect a clear focus on TV acting. Scripts from current TV productions are used throughout training, and ActUpNorth’s cutting-edge multiACT system mimics multicam studio setups for reviewing performances immediately in high definition.
Visiting casting directors, agents, producers, and directors provide feedback and advice designed to help students secure work. “We cover a wide range of content in classes, including audition techniques,” says tutor Nathan McMullen. “I love seeing students that then put into practice what they’ve learnt in sessions in the industry and book their first, second, or 50th jobs.”
You’ll also be eligible to join Spotlight after two consecutive years of study, since ActUpNorth is an accredited training provider. Former students include Hollyoaks’ Lauren McQueen and Black Mirror’s Hannah Griffiths.
How to apply
Apply online, and then attend a free audition class to ask questions, experience the school’s approach, and let them get to know you. You may be placed on a waitlist, because spaces are limited.