To receive information about future events and LAMDA at Large activities, please join the mailing list by contacting the Development Office on 020 8834 0510 or at development@lamda.org.uk
Staging Shakespeare – Monday 3 December
Pre-show Talk from Romeo and Juliet Director, Rodney Cottier
Head of Drama at LAMDA and international lecturer on Shakespeare’s First Folio, Rodney Cottier, brings his extensive knowledge to the most tragic of the Bard’s love stories. Following magnificent LAMDA productions of Coriolanus and Julius Caesar, Rodney will focus his attention on the challenges and opportunities for staging Shakespeare in this brief pre-show talk.
Women in Shakespeare – Thursday 29 November
Pre-Show Talk from Much Ado About Nothing Director, Janet Suzmam
LAMDA alumna and Vice-President, award-winning actor and director, Janet Suzman returns to LAMDA to direct this Shakespearean classic. On opening night she will present a 15-minute pre-show talk drawing on themes from the play, her experience of playing all of the great Shakespearean roles for women and her recent book – Not Hamlet: Meditations on the frail position of Women in Shakespeare.
Poetry Night – Wednesday 7 November 2012
Hosted by LAMDA Examinations, this year’s Poetry Night was a great success. A much-loved internal event in the Academy calendar, it’s always a great opportunity to experience the lyrical talents of our students first hand. This year's event was enjoyed by staff, students, Guardian Angels, Principal Guardian Angels and Archangels.
Each year the event features the annual Poetry Speaking Competition, in which students either perform their own interpretation of a published poem or present a poem they have written themselves. This year we were delighted to welcome Sir Andrew Motion, poet and former Poet Laureate, as the star guest judge for the night. The winner of Best Published Poem was semester course student Sarah Sanders, speaking Night Club by Billy Collins and the runner up was Luke Rampersad, second year student on the Three Year Acting Course, speaking Love after Death by Derek Walcott. The winner of Best Original Poem was semester course student Karel Ebergen for A Public Affair and in second place was Eru Harada, also on the semester course, with Because I Really. Well done to all involved.
Find out more about LAMDA Events or becoming a LAMDA Angel.
LAMDA Summer Reception - Thursday 12 July 2012
This year LAMDA's Summer Reception provided the perfect opportunity for LAMDA Angels and supporters of the Scholarships & Bursaries Scheme to raise a glass to the class of 2012 and wish them well as they head out into the industry. Guests were treated to a sneak peak of the Diploma Day performance - a compilation of various excerpts from throughout the year and the students' training - before enjoying drinks with the final year students on the Two and Three Year Acting Courses and the Stage Management & Technical Theatre Course.
Thank you to all who came and congratulations to the class of 2012!
Behind the Scenes series - Screen Acting Focus, 18 June 2012
The final event of the year in our 'Behind the Scenes' series saw LAMDA Angels and supporters of the Scholarships & Bursaries Scheme join us for a chat with A.J. Quinn, LAMDA's Head of Screen & Audio performance. Guests were given an exclusive insight intto how we prepare students for sustainable careers working in radio, film and television, as well as on stage. They were then invited to attend the Academy's annual Film Night, a screening of four professionally written, shot and edited short films, starring our graduating students: Life Support and Young Radicals by Tracy Brabin and Rat Trap and Nighthawks by Shaun Prendergast.
Click here to watch the films in full.
Dance Night - Monday 16 May 2012
Each year, the Academy’s students come together for LAMDA’s annual Dance Night – a showcase of highlights from their Physical Theatre, Dance and Movement classes. This year’s Dance Night was as energetic and spirited as ever, with the graduating classes performing excerpts from the LAMDA Musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, as well as a lively stepping routine, using their bodies as percussive instruments to produce complex rhythms and sounds.
The enthusiastic and uproarious audience of staff and students also enjoyed Street Dance and Flamenco routines performed by the first years on the Two Year Acting Course, as well as Historical dances performed by first years on the Three Year Acting Course.
Dance Night is one of a series of Academy Events that take place throughout the academic year. We look forward to the next events in the Academy calendar: Film Night, a showcase of films made by graduating students, and Fight Night, an evening of stage combat performed by students across all years at LAMDA.
Click here for more information about Academy Events.
Due to capacity and the nature of Academy events they are sadly not open to the public. However, whenever possible we like to invite supporters and other members of the LAMDA community to join us. Click here to find out how you can be part of these special nights by becoming a LAMDA Angel.
The Threepenny Opera Fundraiser – Wednesday 21 March 2012
Thank you to everyone who joined us at Wilton’s for The Threepenny Opera Fundraiser.
Whilst getting a sneak peek at the company warming up for the show, guests were treated to canapés and drinks in the atmospheric surroundings of the country’s oldest surviving music hall. As well as our generous supporters, we were delighted to be joined by current LAMDA staff and acclaimed alumni Michael Maloney, Kazia Pelka and Julia St John.
The cast of The Threepenny Opera – who are 18 months into our two year professional acting course – were in fine voice for an energetic and bold version of Brecht and Weill’s most famous collaboration. They then joined guests for a drink after the show so we could raise a glass to celebrate their hard work!
We are so grateful to everyone who bought a ticket for the Fundraiser or the LAMDA raffle. Your support helped us raise much needed funds, which will help LAMDA continue to deliver world class training in the face of funding cuts and increased tuition fees. Thank you!
To see photographs from the night, click here.Behind the Scenes series - Student Focus, 6 March 2012
Following our successful Designer’s and Director’s Focus events last year, we were delighted to host our next event in the Behind the Scenes series. LAMDA Angels and supporters of the Scholarships & Bursaries scheme were welcomed to the Academy to gain an exclusive insight into the experience of a LAMDA acting student. After an introduction to the timetable and a typical student week from LAMDA tutor Steve Jameson, guests toured the Academy and watched snippets of a Historical Dance class, Lecoq class and a Physical Theatre class. They were then treated to an insight into life at LAMDA from a student's perspective, with recent alumnus Sam Taylor speaking about his time at the Academy.
Alumni Party – 11 December 2011
This December the Academy hosted an alumni party. Over 200 alumni from graduating years 1956 to 2011 joined us to celebrate LAMDA’s 150th Anniversary with mulled wine, minced pies and a LAMDA cake, cut to the strains of a rousing Happy Birthday to the Academy. Those who attended enjoyed recent student short films, the opportunity to look through production photographs spanning 30 years, tours of the Talgarth Road site as well as the chance to meet up with old friends and tutors, past and present.
Our two LAMDA Dames, Vice-President Janet Suzman and alumna Harriet Walter, spoke to the assembled throng from the ‘Hogwarts’ Gallery, recounting some early LAMDA memories and reminding all those present of the great strengths of the LAMDA experience and what the LAMDA family can still offer .
The full complement of photos are available on our facebook page or at our flickr page and any alumni who would like to join the Alumni Network can do so by emailing the development team.
Here’s to the next 150 years!
Fortnum & Mason Charity Christmas Party – 1 December 2011
As part of the Big Give 2011
Guests came along to this exclusive event to support LAMDA whilst enjoying an exclusive shopping and tasting event at London’s Fortnum & Mason. Performers from the top UK arts charities, including LAMDA, entertained at this special festive event. Talented LAMDA alumni The Ruby Dolls delighted shoppers with their 1940s style Cabaret act.
After the event guests were encouraged to donate their full ticket price to LAMDA online at theBigGive.org.uk, which was then generously matched by The Garfield Weston Foundation.
Poetry Night – 9 November 2011
This November saw the return of LAMDA’s Annual Poetry Night, a much-loved event in the Academy calendar. A platform for the LAMDA Examinations Poetry-Speaking Competition, Poetry Night is a fruitful and entertaining collaboration between LAMDA Examinations and the Drama School.
Students from the Drama School competed in either the Published Poem category, where they interpreted a published poem, or in the Original Poem category, where they presented a poem that they had written themselves. The panel of judges included Dawn Postans (Head of Examinations), Gerard Hargreaves (Councillor for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea), and Liverpool poet Brian Patten.
Following the judges’ deliberations and the awarding of prizes, Brian Patten delighted the audience with a very funny presentation of two of his own poems.
This event was an internal Academy event, to which we welcomed LAMDA Guardian Angels, Principal Guardian Angels and Archangels.
'Poems in the Park' – 6 November 2011
The Academy was delighted that two LAMDA alumni, Matthew Field and Holly Janowski, were invited to join current student Adam Blampied to perform at the Friends of Richmond Park’s Poetry Competition, Poems in the Park. The actors presented 22 shortlisted poems, which were selected from 650 entries. Judges of the competition included Dame Jacqueline Wilson and Sir Trevor MacDonald.
Richard Gray, trustee of the Friends of Richmond Park commented:
‘The audience were completely absorbed by Holly, Adam and Matt’s readings and each of them received rapturous applause. Huge thanks to them all for their skilled, thoughtful and talented renditions of the poems; they brought them to life and made 22 amateur poets very happy indeed.’
Click here for more information about the competition.
‘Behind the Scenes’ series – Designer’s Focus, 27 September 2011
Following our successful Director’s Focus in May, we were delighted to host an exclusive ‘Behind the Scenes’ – Designer’s Focus in September around the production of Nicholas Wright’s Cressida.
Professional designer Richard Bullwinkle gave an insight into the design process behind a LAMDA production and the creative concepts informing the sets of the October Repertoire.
Following a fascinating introduction to the model boxes used to design the set, guests explored the life-sized version in The LAMDA Linbury Studio before enjoying a drinks reception with Richard Bullwinkle and the show’s director, John Baxter.
LAMDA Summer Reception – 14 July 2011
LAMDA's 2011 Summer Reception. Photograph by Ann Pownall.
LAMDA was delighted to host its first Summer Reception at the Academy, which took place on Thursday 14 July 2011. The evening was a chance for LAMDA Angels and supporters of the Academy’s scholarships and bursaries programme to celebrate the year with the graduating class of 2011 and enjoy a preview of their Diploma Day performance. Chairman Luke Rittner offered thanks to all of LAMDA’s dedicated supporters for their ongoing generosity and led a toast to those students nearing the end of their time at the Academy.
LAMDA at The Queen’s Club 125th Anniversary Ball – 8 July 2011
This July, Queen’s Club members saw a showcase of LAMDA’s stage combat talent when two students took up their swords to perform at The Queen’s Club 125th Anniversary Ball. The tennis-themed fight showcased the exceptional stage combat training undertaken at the Academy and gave members a glimpse of just some of the talent LAMDA has to offer.
The Academy looks forward to welcoming Queen’s Club members to the reception and 7:30pm performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on Tuesday 6th December at The Drill Hall, WC1.
Innovative Training at LAMDA – 7 July 2011
Back in 2009, LAMDA became the first UK drama school to offer its students seminars in captioned and audio described performances. This year, the Academy was pleased to be able to extend this invaluable opportunity to all of LAMDA’s final year students for the first time. On Thursday 7 July 2011, VocalEyes and STAGETEXT ran a workshop at LAMDA to explain how audio description and captioning works and to enable students to hear first hand from two users of the services. As a vital part of the training for both actors and stage managers, these sessions also provided LAMDA’s students with an understanding of the importance of these services in attracting wider audiences for the performing arts.
2011 Deutche Bank Awards – 4 July 2011
Course Director of Stage Management & Technical Theatre Rob Young collects the award on behalf of 2011 Deutsche Bank Award winner Patrick Gleeson. Photograph by Michelle Panzeri
The winners of the 2011 Deutsche Bank Awards were announced in a ceremony at the London Contemporary Dance School on Monday 4 July. This year's Deutsche Bank Award in Dramatic Arts was won by Patrick Gleeson - a final year student on LAMDA's Stage Management & Technical Theatre Course.
Speaking after his win, Patrick commented,
"The Deutsche Bank Award has allowed me to try something bold and unconventional and what would have always remained only a pipe dream otherwise. In an industry that's permanently cash-strapped and short on time, to be given the opportunity and freedom to try something that doesn't fit the mould, and to be given it right at the beginning of my career, is a fantastic luxury for which I'll always be grateful.'
The awards ceremony was attended by LAMDA Chairman Luke Rittner, Course Director of Stage Management & Technical Theatre Rob Young and members of the Development Office - who collected the award on Patrick's behalf. LAMDA graduate and 2008 Deutsche Bank Award winner Libby Penn also presented extracts from her winning project, Little Lords.
LAMDA is delighted to continue its involvement with the Deutsche Bank Award scheme. For more information about this year's awards and Patrick's project, please click here.
New Shoots: LAMDA Film Night – 16 and 17 June 2011
On Thursday 16 and Friday 17 June 2011, the Academy invited industry guests to the premiere of four short films featuring final year students on the Three Year Acting Course.
The films were created as part of the students' acting for camera training and directed by visiting practitioners Deborah Paige and Ben Morris. The four pieces of work presented were The River's Mouth by Stella Duffy, A House is Not a Home by Mark Ravenhill, Life After by Michelle Bonnard and Kidnap by Ben Morris.
LAMDA students entertain visitors at the 2011 Open Garden Squares Weekend – 12 June 2011
On Sunday 12 June 2011, final year students Nathalie Carrington, Jonathan Sayer, Laura Hanna and Jonathan Bullock performed a medley of songs in some of West London's most exclusive green spaces as part of the Open Garden Squares Weekend.
LAMDA was delighted to visit the beautiful settings of Hereford Garden Square, Holland House Garden, the William Morris Society Garden and Emery Walker's House and looks forward to welcoming their visitors to share in the work of the Academy.
(Right) LAMDA student Nathalie Carrington performs at Holland House Garden. Photograph by Mandy Zettl.
LAMDA's 2011 Stage Design Exhibition – 14 July 2011
The Lyric Hammersmith was the setting for this year's Stage Design Exhibition, which took place on Tuesday 14 July 2011.
The event is a chance for first year students on LAMDA's Stage Management & Technical Theatre Course to create their own accurate scale model box and showcase their skills in set design and prop making to a panel of industry guests; competing to win the coveted Richard Bullwinkle Stage Design Prize. This year's model box winner was Amy Bramma, for her innovative take on Oh! What a Lovely War. The runners up were Philip Gainsbury and Ulrike Jurgens.
Thanks go to the judging panel: the Lyric Hammersmith's Artistic Director Sean Holmes, LAMDA trustee Timothy Oakley, designer Richard Bullwinkle and Course Director Rob Young.
On Fighting Form – Fight Night at the Lyric Hammersmith, 6 June 2011
LAMDA students perform at Fight Night 2011. Photograph by Thomas Scurr.
LAMDA's stage combat students had everyone on the edge of their seats at the Academy's annual Fight Night, which took place at the Lyric Hammersmith on Monday 6 June 2011.
After some astounding fights, Joel Samuel, Hera Hilmar and Greg Tannahill all won the Phillipson Sword for Outstanding Technique, whilst the Jubilee Trophy for Best Fight was awarded jointly to Brian Martin, Jack Leonard, Danny Mahoney and Joshua Mayes Cooper.
Normally an internal Academy event, we were delighted to be able to extend invitations for this special Fight Night to the entire LAMDA community. Our sincere thanks go to the Lyric Hammersmith for hosting this year's event.
‘Behind the Scenes’ series – Director’s Focus, 17 May 2011
The Academy hosted an exclusive 'Behind the Scenes': Director's Focus around the production of The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek.
Guests visited the rehearsal room to gain a fascinating insight into the play a week before opening night, before enjoying a drinks reception with the cast and the show's director, Penny Cherns.
The Academy looks forward to exploring further 'behind the scenes' opportunities and to sharing other aspects of theatre-making and its context within the LAMDA training.
LAMDA participates in the Conservatoire’s Tenth Anniversary Gala Performance – 14 May 2011
LAMDA students perform at the Conservatoire’s Anniversary Gala. Photograph by Tim Cross.
On Saturday 14 May 2011, students and staff from all eight affiliate schools of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama came together to celebrate the Conservatoire’s tenth anniversary year. The gala performance showcased talents from each of the schools – with LAMDA’s second year acting students performing a show-stopping Charleston dance for guests. The Academy was delighted to participate in the event and to help mark this special anniversary for the Conservatoire.
Celebrating 150 Years
LAMDA alumni turn out to celebrate the Academy's 150th Birthday. [L-R] Samuel Barnett, Anthony Head, Sam Claflin and Nathaniel Parker. Photograph by Richard Hubert Smith.
In the magical setting of Wilton's Music Hall, the oldest surviving music hall in the world, LAMDA launched its 150th Anniversary with a two-week run of Kander and Ebb's musical, Cabaret.
A host of alumni returned to raise a glass to their alma mater, including; Ruth Wilson (2010 Laurence Olivier Award winner), Toby Stephens, Dame Harriet Walter DBE, Lesley Joseph, Patricia Hodge, Nathaniel Parker, Anthony Head, Samuel Barnett (The History Boys) and 2009 graduate Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides).
The celebrations culminated with a gala performance on Wednesday 16 February 2011, in the presence of LAMDA's Patron, Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra.