Acting Classes in Glasgow

I like to hear about how other people do it. Teaching/coaching acting I mean. Of course, the chances are that as an acting coach, I will see very few other coaches and teachers doing their thing. It’s true that I have a fairly strict code of what I believe teaching acting SHOULD be and what teaching acting HAS BECOME. For the most part, anyone can call themselves an acting teacher and that makes it dangerous because so many gifted and vulnerable people come to us for help and advice.

I was upset to hear a student talking about another class she attends as having over 21 members. 21! That’s not an acting class to me. Instead, it is a valuable opportunity for the institution to make dishonest money. I’ve had large classes to teach when I was in the conservatory and in the university, but the best classes that I’ve ever taught – for the student I mean – were classes of no more than 8, perhaps 6, well, okay, probably 2. This causes us acting coaches and acting teachers trouble, it’s hard to make a living that way, unless you charge the earth. Private classes are a part of what I do, but you can’t run an acting class and say you only have 2 spaces and that you’re charging £600 for each space – well you could, but…

Of course I understand that intensive full time programmes can have 16 students in a room and part of the time they are watching and part of the time, they are taking part.

I find the idea of putting 21 students in a room quite dishonest, I struggled with it when I taught at the conservatory and I struggle with the idea now. Acting is one on one. Two actors/acting students and the coach is the best possible environment for learning. Perhaps you could stretch this to four if you wanted to give two a chance to reflect and learn through observation and reflection. But ideally, I say 2. Not 1, because 1 misses that important relationship with The Other.

You see, as my friend Terence Zeeman taught me, drama – particularly acting is taught on the body, it requires presence and practice. That’s why I’m stuck for words whenever a student asks me to recap what they missed in class. What is missed, is missed. It’s not even about new knowledge, I suppose that could form a hand out. Instead, it is the presence, it is the training being done to and with you present.

If you’re looking for an acting class, ask how many people are in the class, if you find the number high, you will not, you simply cannot, spend that much time DOING the business of acting, because there is not the time for it. Sure, you can break into groups and come up with improv’d sketches and skits, but that feels less like an acting class and more like a drama group.

If you’re taking acting classes in glasgow, my advice, look for a small class, you’ll learn more, develop quicker and have greater feedback.