Keen to learn to act for screen, become an improv pro, or act mindfully? Whether you’re new to acting or an established professional, taking a class can help you hone new skills or keep old ones from getting rusty. A bit of training could even be the thing that sees you sail through an audition and land that big role.
With this in mind, here are six of the best acting classes in Manchester, covering a range of curricula and budgets and taking into account accreditation, student outcomes, and online reviews.
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Olivier Award–winning playwright Jim Cartwright founded the Cartwright Drama Studio to both pass on his knowledge and address the inaccessibility of theatre to those without wealth and privilege.
The classes cover improvisation, voice work, script work, confidence building, and camera technique, among other things.
Online reviews for classes are overwhelmingly positive, and Cartwright Drama Studio members have secured work in an impressive range of productions, including Coronation Street, Silent Witness, and Hollyoaks.
The studio holds regular showcases for industry professionals and offers students an opportunity to be represented by its partner agency, Cartwright-Higgins Management Associates, so they can help you find professional acting work as well as help you be good at it. In addition, around once a month the Studio holds Sunday Night at The Cartwright Palladium, giving students performance experience in front of a live audience.
Price: Classes take place on a weekly basis, last two hours, and cost £22 per session.
Manchester Hub Drama School (or MHD Acting School, as it’s also known) was established in 2014 by Stevie Helps and Paul Kenney, co-artistic directors of New Live Theatre Company, and the school still maintains a close relationship with the company. This enables MHD to offer its students opportunities including showcase performances for industry professionals and performances at venues such as The Lowry and Z-arts Theatre.
Participants must attend a trial session before being accepted onto this series of weekly workshops. Once in, you’ll be taught subjects including screen acting, script analysis, improvisation, and character development.
The classes are described by the school as “very fun, but intense and strict for the more advanced actors wanting to work professionally.” The school aims to be “an affordable place for actors to play, take risks, learn, develop and perform.”
Price: Classes take place on a weekly basis, last two hours, and cost £70 for four weeks.
Run by Daniel Bradford, an actor and the artistic director of Play With Fire Productions, Mindful Acting strives to offer a “compassionate, no-BS approach to acting” with a focus on performing mindfully, and its weekly acting classes in Manchester are reviewed very positively online.
Open to both beginners and experienced actors, the classes cover subjects including acting in different styles; managing your inner critic and self-judgement; and mastering presence and authenticity. A bonus for those juggling acting with other commitments is that the classes can be taken on a regular or flexible basis.
Mindful Acting also hosts a podcast, so you can supplement your learning outside of the classes.
Those hesitant to jump straight in can book a class as an observer only, but this is charged at £20 – the same cost as taking part. You can, however, book a free one-to-one consultation to chat about whether Mindful Acting’s classes might be right for you.
Price: Classes take place on a weekly basis, last two hours, and cost £20 per session.
Casting director Peter Hunt founded ActUpNorth in 2009, and it has expanded on its initial offering in Leeds to add acting courses in Manchester, Liverpool, and online.
The main focus of these classes is acting for the camera. The school has developed software (called multiACT) which allows students to record and watch back their performances, providing an opportunity to identify strengths and weaknesses.
Most sessions involve working on scripts from TV productions. Areas of focus for individual sessions include breaking down a script, acting for film versus TV, and acting with authenticity.
Students have gone on to appear in shows like Cold Feet, Happy Valley, Dodger, and many more.
The adult acting classes are Spotlight accredited, which adds value as Spotlight is the leading casting platform for the UK. If you attend classes weekly for six consecutive terms, you’ll be issued with a certificate of attendance that entitles you to register your profile on Spotlight (for a fee), where you can start looking for acting work straight away. There aren’t many theatre schools in Manchester that offer this bonus.
Price: Classes run throughout the week, last two hours, and cost £88 in advance for four weeks, with a minimum commitment of one term (which usually lasts between 12 and 16 weeks).
Mark Hudson founded MSA in 1999 with the goal of making actor training in Manchester “relevant, affordable and accessible to everyone”. The foundation course runs weekly over two years in six terms. It’s necessary to complete all six terms to progress to further study with MSA, but you can get a lot out of attending for only a term or two, if that's what works for you. Subjects covered on the course include voice, physicality, script and scene analysis, and television scene study.
One of the benefits with MSA is that once you’re signed on to the foundation course, all additional classes, workshops, conversation sessions, and meetings with industry experts are free.
BAFTA winner Suranne Jones took classes at MSA, and other alumni have gone on to appear in Silent Witness, Coronation Street, and The Dark Knight Rises.
Price: Classes run on a weekly basis, last 3.5 hours, and cost £40 per session.
Casting Director Michael Jackson started Act4tv in 2009 to teach actors how to succeed in auditioning and to prepare them for life on set. Classes have a maximum of 10 students, helping ensure that learning is focused. Students are sent a link to the footage from each class so they can self-assess their progress. The focus is on preparation and rehearsal, with students performing for the camera every session to get used to it.
Act4tv is Spotlight accredited, meaning after two years of consecutive training here, you’ll be eligible to join Spotlight.
Another bonus: The company holds its own film festival every year. Students can audition for roles in the films, which are then premiered in front of agents, casting directors, and other industry pros, so it’s a great way to get yourself known.
Act4tv students and graduates have appeared in shows including The Responder, The Feud, and Granite Harbour.
Price: Classes run throughout the week, last two hours, and cost £20 per session, but they must be bought in blocks of four. There’s a 25% discount for those in full-time education.
With such a wealth of actor training available in Manchester, you’re sure to find a course that can enhance your skills and increase your chances of landing professional roles.
