Acting Workshops in London: How to Get Something Useful Out of Them

What makes a good acting workshop?

The experience of the person leading the workshop matters. Someone who is active in the industry can give you an up-to-date perspective that you might not get from rehearsing on your own.

But the most useful part should still be the work.

If you're performing a scene, song or monologue, the feedback needs to tell you something specific. Maybe you're pushing for emotion instead of allowing it to develop. Maybe your character's intention isn't clear. Maybe you're technically strong, but the person watching isn't getting much sense of who you are.

It's particularly valuable when you're then given the chance to try the scene again. You can feel the difference rather than just make a note in a notebook.

Choose a workshop that's right for your stage

An agent workshop for recent graduates might not be the best place for a 16-year-old preparing for their first drama-school audition. Equally, an introductory monologue class may not be what a working actor needs before their next casting.

Neither is better. They're simply for different people.

Read the description carefully: who's leading it, what you'll be asked to perform, how much individual feedback is included and who it's intended for.

Don't choose solely because someone has an impressive job title. Choose because the session answers a question you actually have.

How should you prepare?

Know your material well enough that you aren't spending the whole workshop worrying about the words. Read the wider script, decide what your character wants and be clear about the circumstances of the scene.

Then be willing to change everything.

Try this exercise in advance: choose a scene and write down three completely different things your character could want from the other person. Rehearse each version without changing the words. One choice might work better than the others, but you've started training yourself to be flexible.

That willingness to experiment is often much more useful than turning up with a performance you're determined never to alter.

Ask questions that get useful answers

If there's a Q&A with an agent or casting professional, go beyond questions you can answer with a quick internet search.

Instead of simply asking, 'How do I get an agent?', try: 'What makes you interested in an emerging actor who has very few professional credits?'

Or: 'When you watch a self-tape, what tells you the actor has really understood the scene?'

Specific questions are more likely to lead to useful insights. Also listen to the notes other actors receive. It's very common to recognise a habit of your own when somebody else is being directed.

Will an industry workshop get me representation?

It might help you learn how the business works and make a good impression. It isn't a promise of representation, a casting or a job.

We think it's better to go into a workshop wanting to become a better actor. That way the session can be worthwhile even when nothing immediately comes from the networking side of it.

And be wary of anyone suggesting that simply attending a paid workshop guarantees access to roles.

How ReAct approaches workshops

We want our industry sessions to be practical: opportunities to perform, receive thoughtful direction and understand more about the profession from people currently working in it.

You can see who is running our current sessions and whether they're suitable for you on the ReAct workshops page. We don't want to push you towards a workshop that's wrong for your age or level.

If you're an aspiring actor specifically hoping to get into a conservatoire, we'd suggest starting with our weekly drama-school preparation class in Islington, which gives you time to develop your work consistently.

Whichever option you choose, come prepared to work rather than simply to impress. You'll almost certainly get more out of it.

Explore current industry workshops.
Or see the weekly drama-school preparation class.