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London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Drama school in Hammersmith, London

The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), founded in 1861 in Hammersmith, London, is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. Ranked No. 1 in the UK by The Guardian University Guide in 2025, LAMDA expanded to New York City through a partnership in Manhattan. Alumni thrive at the Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, West End, and Hollywood, winning numerous Academy Awards, Tonys, and Olivier Awards. LAMDA offers a Master of Arts in Classical Acting via the Fulbright Program and provides accredited exams recognised by Ofqual and the UCAS Tariff. Its current Principal is Professor Mark O’Thomas, with Benedict Cumberbatch as board president.

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History

The London Academy of Music was established by Henry Wylde in 1861 in St. James's Hall; there were separate sections for men and women.2425 Teaching began on 15 November 1861, at which time the cost per annum was 15 guineas, or £15 15s 0d.26 Students of all ages "with a decided talent, or showing an aptitude for learning" were admitted.27 Full scholarships were available.28 The first philharmonic concert was held on 29 April 1863, following a public rehearsal on 25 April.2930 It was a performance of Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3.31

Providing training for, and examinations in, various musical disciplines was originally the dominant purpose of the institution. However, providing instruction in spoken English quickly became a core area of the academy's work.

In the 1880s, LAMDA began offering speech examinations to the public. Since then, these examinations have been refined and developed into a comprehensive system of performance evaluation. LAMDA Examinations has emerged as the largest Speech and Drama Board in the United Kingdom.

In 1904, the school was amalgamated with two other London music institutions that had sprung up since the academy was founded, namely the London Music School (founded 1865) and the Forest Gate School of Music (founded 1885) renamed in 1906 the Metropolitan Academy of Music. (The Metropolitan Academy of Music severed its links with the London Academy of Music in 1907.32) In due course the Hampstead Academy was also amalgamated. The name was changed to the current name in 1935, under the direction of Wilfrid Foulis. In 1939, it was moved from London due to the war; when it reopened in 1945, it no longer provided musical training.33 However, singing has remained integral to LAMDA's actor training and in 2023 it introduced a new MFA Musical Theatre programme.34

LAMDA was previously an associate member of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, having joined in 2004, and received funding through the Conservatoire from the Office for Students. It left the Conservatoire on 31 July 2019 to become an independent institution, and now receives funding directly from the Office for Students and Research England.3536 LAMDA is a member of Conservatoires UK - an elite group of drama and music schools in the United Kingdom.37

In August 2021 it was announced that Sarah Frankcom would step down as Director, and that LAMDA was conducting a search for a successor.38 In August 2022, LAMDA announced that Professor Mark O'Thomas had been unanimously appointed by the board of trustees as principal and chief executive, with Dr. Philippa Standberg-Long appointed as head of actor training.394041

Facilities

In 2003, LAMDA decided to move its teaching school and theatre to its current location in Hammersmith in West London. It acquired the old premises of the Royal Ballet School on Talgarth Road.

The move to the Talgarth Road enabled LAMDA to develop a campus with new training facilities designed by Niall McLaughlin Architects.42 The site was previously home to the Royal Ballet School, which moved to new, purpose-built facilities adjacent to the Royal Opera House.

The LAMDA complex has three theatres and various rehearsal spaces and meeting rooms. The three theatres are the Sainsbury Theatre, the Carne Studio Theatre and the Linbury Studio.43

Boards and Honorary Fellows

Board of trustees

Honorary Fellows

Notable alumni

See also: Category:Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

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51°29′26″N 0°12′52″W / 51.49056°N 0.21444°W / 51.49056; -0.21444

References

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  2. Ross, Eleanor (26 November 2024). "The 16 Best Drama Schools all UK Actors Should Know". Backstage. BackstageMagazine. Retrieved 15 March 2025. https://www.backstage.com/uk/magazine/article/the-drama-schools-uk-actors-should-know-67213/#section4 ↩

  3. "The Guardian University Guide Dance and Drama". The Guardian. The Guardian. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2024/sep/07/the-guardian-university-guide-2025-the-rankings ↩

  4. "The Guardian ranks LAMDA number one school for Drama". lamda. lamda. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2025. https://www.lamda.ac.uk/news/lamda-ranks-number-one-for-drama-in-the-guardian-2025-league-tables ↩

  5. "UK's LAMDA to Open Offices and Studios in NYC". americantheatre. AMERICAN THEATRE. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2025. https://www.americantheatre.org/2024/12/12/lamda-announces-new-offices-and-training-in-nyc/ ↩

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  7. London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, charitiesdirect.com Archived 2012-07-22 at archive.today http://www.charitiesdirect.com/charities/london-academy-of-music-and-dramatic-art-312821.html ↩

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  16. <1-- not stated -->. "Experience Over Nine Decades of the Oscars From 1927 to 2025". Oscars. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 15 March 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2025 ↩

  17. "United Kingdom: 1 Fulbright/John Wood LAMDA Award in Classical Acting". fulbrightonline.org. https://us.fulbrightonline.org/countries/europe-and-eurasia/united-kingdom/1785 ↩

  18. "MA Classical Acting for the Professional Theatre | London academy of music & dramatic art". lamda.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2022. https://www.lamda.ac.uk/all-courses/acting-directing-courses/ma-classical-acting-professional-theatre ↩

  19. "Benedict Cumberbatch becomes president of Lamda drama school". BBC. 16 January 2018. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42708021 ↩

  20. "LAMDA appoints Professor Mark O'Thomas as principal and chief executive". dramaandtheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 16 August 2022. https://www.dramaandtheatre.co.uk/news/article/lamda-appoints-professor-mark-o-thomas-as-principal-and-chief-executive ↩

  21. "LAMDA announces next Principal and Chief Executive". lamda.ac.uk. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022. https://www.lamda.ac.uk/news/lamda-announces-next-principal-and-chief-executive ↩

  22. "Sarah Frankcom to step down as artistic director of Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre | WhatsOnStage". whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 14 October 2019. https://www.whatsonstage.com/manchester-theatre/news/sarah-frankcom-artistic-director-royal-exchange_48603.html ↩

  23. "Press Office" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20130514193536/http://www.lamda.org.uk/development/press/releases/LAMDAAppointsANewPrincipal_000.pdf ↩

  24. Rainbow, Bernarr & Kemp, Anthony (2001). "London (i), §VIII: Educational institutions, 3. Conservatories". In Sadie, Stanley & Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.‎ 978-1-56159-239-5 ↩

  25. "London Academy of Music". Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper (London, England). 15 December 1861. p. 8. https://www.newspapers.com/image/390344023/ ↩

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  27. "The London Academy of Music". The Daily Telegraph (London, England). 6 November 1861. p. 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/784566520/ ↩

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  31. "New Philharmonic Concerts". The Daily Telegraph (London, England). 30 April 1863. p. 3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/784115703/ ↩

  32. 'Country and Colonial News'.The Musical Times, Vol. 48, No. 768 (1 Feb. 1907), p.119. ↩

  33. Rainbow, Bernarr & Kemp, Anthony (2001). "London (i), §VIII: Educational institutions, 3. Conservatories". In Sadie, Stanley & Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.‎ 978-1-56159-239-5 ↩

  34. "MA Musical Theatre | London academy of music & dramatic art". www.lamda.ac.uk. Retrieved 20 March 2024. https://www.lamda.ac.uk/all-courses/acting-directing-courses/ma-musical-theatre ↩

  35. Snow, Georgia (26 July 2019). "RADA and LAMDA leave Conservatoire for Dance and Drama to become independent institutions". The Stage. Retrieved 19 August 2020. https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/rada-and-lamda-leave-conservatoire-for-dance-and-drama-to-become-independent-institutions ↩

  36. "Annual Report & Financial Statements For the year ended 31 July 2019" (PDF). London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Retrieved 19 August 2020. https://ww2.lamda.ac.uk/sites/default/files/LAMDA%20Limited%20Signed%20Accounts%20YE%2031%20July%202019.pdf ↩

  37. "Meet our members". Conservatoires UK. Retrieved 24 March 2024. https://conservatoiresuk.ac.uk/meet-our-members/ ↩

  38. "Lamda boss to leave job amid 'conduct and management style' complaints". The Guardian. 10 August 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/aug/10/lamda-boss-to-leave-job-amid-conduct-and-management-style-complaints?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other ↩

  39. "O'Thomas named LAMDA Principal and Chief Executive". artsprofessional.co.uk. 18 August 2022. https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/faces/othomas-named-lamda-principal-and-chief-executive ↩

  40. "LAMDA appoints Mark O'Thomas principal". TheStage.co.uk. 16 August 2022. https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/lamda-appoints-mark-othomas-principal ↩

  41. "LAMDA announces next Principal and Chief Executive". lamda.ac.uk. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022. https://www.lamda.ac.uk/news/lamda-announces-next-principal-and-chief-executive ↩

  42. Hoggart, Paul (10 July 2017). "Backstage: Why LAMDA's £28 million extension is making jaws drop". The Stage. Retrieved 15 January 2020. https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/2017/backstage-why-lamdas-28-million-extension-is-making-jaws-drop/ ↩

  43. "Hire a Space". London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Retrieved 19 August 2020. https://www.lamda.ac.uk/life-lamda/hire-space ↩

  44. "Trustees | London academy of music & dramatic art". www.lamda.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 March 2024. https://www.lamda.ac.uk/trustees ↩

  45. Rumsby, Kieran (6 August 2022). "Tell me about...Princess Alexandra • The Crown Chronicles". The Crown Chronicles. Retrieved 19 March 2024. https://thecrownchronicles.co.uk/explanation/tell-me-about-princess-alexandra/ ↩

  46. "Benedict Cumberbatch becomes president of Lamda drama school". BBC News. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-42708021 ↩

  47. "LAMDA chairman Luke Rittner steps down after 23 years". The Stage. Retrieved 19 March 2024. https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/lamda-chairman-luke-rittner-steps-down-after-23-years ↩

  48. "LAMDA Trustees | LAMDA". lamda.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 January 2023. https://www.lamda.ac.uk/trustees ↩