London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and was a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. In January 2025 the school expanded to New York City through a partnership with A.R.T. New York in Manhattan to provide studio training to actors in the US. LAMDA was ranked as the No. 1 drama school in the UK by The Guardian University Guide in 2025. The academy's graduates work regularly at the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare's Globe, and the theatres of London's West End and Hollywood, as well as on the BBC, Broadway, and in the MCU. It is registered as a company under the name LAMDA Ltd and as a charity under its trading name London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. There is an associate organisation in America under the name of American Friends of LAMDA (AFLAMDA). A very high proportion of LAMDA's stage management and technical theatre graduates find work in their chosen field within weeks of graduation. LAMDA alumni have received 5 Academy Awards (out of 13 Oscar nominations), 10 SAG Awards, 13 Tonys, 15 Emmys, 19 Golden Globes, 21 BAFTAs, and 40 Olivier Awards. LAMDA has a long-established partnership with the Fulbright Program. Each year one U.S. applicant is awarded a Fulbright Scholarship by the US/UK Fulbright Commission to study for a Master of Arts in Classical Acting at the school. LAMDA Examinations in the fields of speech, drama, musical theatre, communication, and performance are taken by external students and are recognised by Ofqual, the regulator in England, and its counterparts in Wales and Northern Ireland. LAMDA-accredited examinations at Level 3 or above are recognised within the UCAS Tariff system. LAMDA's Principal is Professor Mark O'Thomas, who succeeded Director Sarah Frankcom in 2022. Benedict Cumberbatch succeeded Timothy West as President of LAMDA's board of trustees in 2018. 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. Teaching began on 15 November 1861, at which time the cost per annum was 15 guineas, or £15 15s 0d. Students of all ages "with a decided talent, or showing an aptitude for learning" were admitted. Full scholarships were available. The first philharmonic concert was held on 29 April 1863, following a public rehearsal on 25 April. It was a performance of Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3. 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.) Henry Yorke Trotter, who had been the sole proprietor of the London Music School since 1897, became Principal of the Academy of Music from 1904 until his death 30 years later. 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. However, singing has remained integral to LAMDA's actor training and in 2023 it introduced a new MFA Musical Theatre programme. 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. LAMDA is a member of Conservatoires UK - an elite group of drama and music schools in the United Kingdom. In August 2021 it was announced that Sarah Frankcom would step down as Director, and that LAMDA was conducting a search for a successor. 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 Strandberg-Long appointed as head of actor training. 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. 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. Boards and Honorary Fellows Patron: Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy Board of trustees President: Benedict Cumberbatch Vice-president: Patricia Hodge Chairman: Sir Nigel Carrington Vice Chair: Tom Chandos, Dame Shirley Pearce Other Board members: Shamez Alibhai, David Roper, Professor Naren Barfield, Georgia Brown, Mohammad Dastbaz, Frances Corner, Nese Guner, Joanne Hirst, Katie Channon, Nathan Richardson, Thomas Laing-Baker, Joanne Hirst, Helen Protheroe, Michelle Daisley, Leah Harvey, Rory Kinnear, Dame Shirley Pearce, Helen Wright Staff Trustee: Annabel Mutale Reed Honorary Fellows Notable alumni References External links Official website