To go, or not to go to drama school – that is the question that many emerging actors grapple with.
It can feel tricky to weigh up the pros and cons of whether you need drama school to get into acting in the UK, but there is no right or wrong answer.
Attending a good acting school undoubtedly has its benefits, providing performers with a rigorous, well-rounded training and a network of creative peers. Many of today’s household names onstage and onscreen – including Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Cynthia Erivo, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Ncuti Gatwa – went to the UK’s top drama schools.
Drama school is not the only path to success, however, and there are many who have built fulfilling acting careers with alternative journeys, from Jodie Comer to Florence Pugh. For some, drama school isn’t a viable option – whether it’s for financial reasons or because they didn’t get accepted onto a course. For others, it may be a conscious choice not to go, because it simply doesn’t feel like the right route.
"Drama schools aren’t right for everyone for various reasons,” says actor Gemma Dobson, who won the Stage Debut Award for her breakthrough performance in the play Rita, Sue, and Bob Too. “One of the biggest barriers people face when thinking about going to drama school is financial; it certainly was for me.”
Dobson adds that, as an 18-year-old working-class actor from Leeds, she found it “very daunting” that the majority of drama schools are London-based, and she was also worried she wouldn’t fit in.
Another actor who forged her own path, Victoria Lucie, recalls her journey after leaving school. “I tried and failed to get into drama school and decided as only a blinkered 18-year-old can that I’d just do it myself,” she says. “I set a goal that by the age of 25 I’d be making a living as an actor.”
Fast forward seven years, and she was performing in The Mousetrap in the West End, turning 25 during the run!
Actor and puppeteer Ben Gilbert had always loved theatre at school, but ended up studying English literature at university before navigating his way into the industry.
Gilbert says he believes drama school would have been a “super valuable” experience – “I would have met wonderful people; I would have learned so much a lot faster than I did” – but he also said it felt wonderful to build his career naturally from the ground up, growing as an actor from each job.
If you’re wondering how to get into acting without drama school, here is a step-by-step guide.
When you’re looking to become an actor with no experience, one of the most important things you can do is start building any credits you can. That could include joining your local amateur dramatics society, taking part in some community theatre, joining a youth theatre if you fit the age bracket, or joining your drama society if you are attending a university.
Acting students will build up credits through productions at their drama school, but you can do the same via alternative opportunities – and maybe even get the opportunity to play a wider variety of roles than you might get cast in professionally!
Not going to drama school doesn’t mean you can’t still train. There are many options to take classes or attend shorter courses that may slot more flexibly around a work schedule or better fit your budget. There are even some drama schools that offer weekly classes or short courses, which may feel more accessible than full-time training.
While she was working at a call centre, Dobson found a weekly class at Manchester School of Acting that fit around her job and was affordable. “I learnt so much and absolutely loved it; I never missed a class,” she says. “After training for a few years, I met a casting director there called David Shaw.”
Shaw later invited Dobson to audition for a series regular role in the second season of Kay Mellor’s BBC One TV series In the Club, and she landed the part.
A lot of drama school training is built around the core components of acting, voice, and movement, so it may be worth thinking about those areas when selecting training.
Finding an alternative path to drama school also means you can pick and choose the training you focus on, and use the time you have to develop more specific or niche performance skills that you really enjoy, whether it’s singing, circus, puppeteering, playing a musical instrument, or tap dancing – whatever takes your fancy!
“I googled ‘how to be an actor’ and found websites like StarNow and CastingCallPro (now the Mandy Network) and started applying for jobs with no professional credits and a selfie,” Lucie says. She landed her first role that way nine months later. Using these platforms to apply to open casting calls is a great way to start putting yourself out there.
Getting professional headshots is essential. It’s the first thing any casting director will look at, and a good headshot photographer will help showcase the different types of character you might play.
They can be expensive (top companies such as Yellowbelly, for example, cost in the region of £375), but there are other photographers who offer pay-what-you-can, discount, or more affordably priced headshots.
It’s also important to have a showreel – it can be anything from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes – to show your acting skills to anyone considering you for a role. Student films are a great way to build up some footage, or you could use something you’ve worked on in an acting class, record yourself performing a monologue, or team up with other performers to film some scenes together.
Having an agent isn’t the be all and end all when it comes to how to get into acting in the UK, but it can open doors for your career since agents have access to contacts and casting calls you may not otherwise come across.
Lucie says an agent came to watch her first acting job in Devon. “I emailed her talking of my plan, and we worked together for years – an amazing working relationship indeed,” she says. “I performed in some local independent feature films, multiple pantomimes, and a UK tour.”
It’s important to prepare yourself for the ups and downs of the industry. Nothing is ever steady when you’re an actor.
“My advice is to remind any aspiring performer that this job isn’t linear,” Lucie says. “One month you can get the big job that prompts everyone to say, ‘Oh, my gosh, you’ve made it!’ and then be unemployed the next – and that’s totally normal. It ebbs and flows like water, so just keep swimming.”
She also highlights the potential imposter syndrome that actors who have not been to drama school may grapple with, but she says all actors are always learning.
Gilbert advises performers to remember to “keep playing” and “do what you do for the love of it,” which can make the experience more enjoyable in an otherwise tough industry.
Seek support if you need to. The industry can be tough, and organisations like Industry Minds offer tailored mental health support to actors.
To play the long game, build resilience, and remain in the industry for as long as you want, it’s essential to create a healthy work-life balance.
“Remember that being an actor is an important part of you, but not your sole reason for being here,” Lucie says. “I was worried to take holidays for example, in case I missed an audition. What’s meant for you will not pass you by, and just enjoy the work when it comes.”
Different life experiences can even benefit your acting. “I would think about [not going to drama school] as an opportunity, and think about what life experience you can bring to any role that you play,” Gilbert says.
Many actors who don’t go to drama school go on to have full careers in the industry. Who knows? You may even join the likes of Carey Mulligan, who was rejected from every school she applied to, or Dev Patel, who landed his first role on Skins with no prior experience. Not going to drama school may one day be part of your success story.