Should I go to Drama School?
05/06/2025
I got my start in youth theatre. Back when I was 7 years old my parents enrolled me in our local drama club mainly because it seemed fun, and little old me was a bit shy and needed an outlet. There were no motivations behind it, no hopes of stardom, my parents were definitely not the type to push me on stage to fulfil their dashed ambitions; but I found my home. I loved it. And I kept on loving it through school and into further education. By the time I was 18 I started to get involved with community theatre projects. I was a volunteer assistant, a facilitator, and a director across multiple productions for kids from 8 to 18 years old, and even a few college level classes for adults.
This was also the age where I started my drama school journey. I knew I wanted to be an actor when I was 12, but learning about drama schools and starting to audition was where things started to get serious. The auditions were expensive, the travelling could be grueling, and the prospect of auditioning was beyond nerve wracking; but it was what I wanted. I was sure of it. I had never been more sure of anything else in my life. This was the path for me.
I didn't get in.
But that's fine, most people dont get in their first year. That's normal. I'll try again next year.
I got further in the process, but still didn't get in.
In my early 20s I got involved quite deeply with the Scottish fringe theatre scene and began working professionally. I worked with artists I came to admire deeply, and sought their advice, their approval, their wisdom. All the while I was still auditioning and getting recalls and conditional places at the top drama schools in the UK. Still not getting in, but putting in the work elsewhere.
One of the most important things I learned during those years was the mentality I needed to start self-training. If the traditional route wasn't going to work out for me, then I needed to take the initiative and seek out training wherever I could. I worked with international companies learning about disciplines I had never heard of, just to stretch myself. I would show up knowing that I was the least experienced in the room, simply because I wanted to learn. It was tough and humbling, but so SO necessary.
The other thing I learned was WHY I wanted to go to drama school.
After 7 or 8 years of auditioning I decided that this year would be my last. If it wasn't meant for me then I could continue my self-training journey with my head held high and take on the industry in my own way. I was done with auditioning. I was fed up with it. The days of "zero audition fees" was still a long way off, and travelling around the UK every year only to be told "NO" after a 20-minute audition was exhausting. Knowing that this year was going to be my last, actually took a lot of the pressure off. I knew I could make it without the validation a degree could give me. I had already worked in TV and toured internationally, doing work that graduates would kill for.
That year I got accepted on to a three-year BA programme, and a one-year Masters programme. I chose the BA.
If you want to become an actor, then asking yourself whether or not you want to go to drama school is a question you need to put a lot of thought into. Contrary to popular belief, drama school is not a guaranteed pipeline into the industry. There are other ways to go about it. Some might be better for you.
If you want to become a working actor, you don't NEED drama school. Don't get me wrong it's an incredible experience and you'll learn a lot, but some of the most regularly employed actors in the UK learned entirely on the job and took private classes or joined clubs. Even some of the classical darlings of the industry like Ian Mckellen learned on the job through the rep system. With enough googling you can teach yourself how to get showreel material, headshots, and jobs. You can find agents that need someone like you on their books. You can take classes on self-tape technique. You can find evening and weekend classes that cater to performers of your skill level that will push you in the right directions. You can get work.
But I was in a slightly different position. I was getting work. Granted, the process was slow, and I was having to create my own network of connections, but I was doing it. The only thing that mattered to me was being the best actor I could be. If I could do that, then I believed the work would come. To do that, I knew I wanted the three years of constant practice in a peer-group of like-minded students, being taught by industry professionals of the highest caliber. I was fascinated by the process. Pushing myself to see what was possible. If that sounds like you, you might get a lot out of a course like that.
Drama school is not for everyone. From my class of 30, I know of 6 who have stopped acting for whatever reason and chosen different, more personally fulfilling pursuits and, without exception, they're all REALLY happy with their decision. Some had terrible time in drama school, some hated the industry, some found new passions, some found new priorities in life. These things happen, none make them any less than any of their peers.
Drama school is also expensive. I can't understate this enough. Most
of the time tuition fees alone run up to 9k per year. On top of that
you have to consider your living costs, which will be increased
dramatically if you go to one of the London schools. Student
financing will help get you some of the way there, but you might
well need to get a job on top of your training. Some of you might be
thinking
"Why is he making it sound like that's a weird thing?"
but remember THIS ISN'T UNI. You're in from 8am to 6pm, sometimes
later. Every class is with a teacher, there is very little
independent study time. You will be getting more contact time with
your lecturer than any other student on any other degree course. You
might not have the time to work a job. Again I was lucky. Scottish
student financing gave me a noticeable advantage over my English
class-mates.
Take your time. Learn about the industry and the schools you're applying for. Chat to students and graduates. Find artists in your community and learn from them. Most importantly, take the time to learn about yourself; what you value, what drives you, what you want to do with your art, then decide if drama school is right for you.
If it's not, that's totally fine. There are just as many, if not more reasons NOT to go to drama school than there are to say yes to it. You CAN still have a career as an actor. You can make important, emotional, fulfilling work. Lack of formal training is not a sign of a lack of talent or skill.
If it is, and you can, then go for it. I learned so much on my course, mad lifelong friends, and feel so much more capable every time I approach the work. But, you will still have dry spells. You will still have bouts of extreme anxiety and self-doubt. Formal training is no guarantee of success.
Break a leg!