Classes for Children

Drama is amazing fun, bringing dramatic situations and characters to life, playing with others to create imaginary worlds. But it’s not only fun; drama teaches children key communication skills. For example, in learning how to bring a text to life children also develop the skills to feel comfortable speaking up in public, clearly, expressively and persuasively. Again, in studying different characters children gain a greater sense of physical and spatial awareness - a more coordinated movement sense.

One of the most important lessons I learned from the drama lessons of my childhood was that everything we do in front of an audience communicates something and that we have the power to control what we communicate.

I believe that knowing this and knowing how to do this is important and empowering, and that is one reason why I am passionate about teaching children drama. The other reason is that it really is amazing fun!

The Classes

I teach weekly drama classes after school on Wednesdays in Westcliff-on-Sea and on Fridays in Wanstead. I also teach a small exam class in Westcliff on Wednesdays especially designed for preparing students to take graded London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) acting and speech exams (see below for details).

Drama Classes

Book a free trial class

These are weekly drama classes for children on Wednesdays at Kings Road United Reformed Church, Westcliff-on-Sea and on Fridays at Wanstead Quaker Meeting House, E11.

These are fun and varied classes where the children work individually and in groups with poems, prose and plays, with improvisation, mime and devising to learn and practice:

How to create a compelling character
How to build and tell a story
How to bring a text to life through the use of their body and voice, their use of the space and through expression and gesture
How to respond spontaneously when performing
How to support their voices and how to present themselves clearly and powerfully.

At the end of each term there will be an open class for family, sharing the work we have been doing.

The times of the classes are:

Wednesdays in Westcliff-on-Sea

5:00-6:00 pm for Years 4-5

6:00-7:00 pm for Years 6, 7 and 8

Fridays in Wanstead

5:30-6:30 pm for Years 6, 7 and 8

6:30-7:30 pm for Years 4-5

£8 per class paid half-termly - 10% sibling discount

Have a look at the photos we caught at the final rehearsal of the children's showcase of Twelfth Night.

Book a free trial class

LAMDA Exam Classes

On Wednesdays, after school during term time, in Westcliff-on-Sea at Kings Road United Reformed Church, Westcliff-on-Sea

With a maximum of 7 children, each 20 week course will prepare the students for a LAMDA exam which will come at the end of the term. I am alternating LAMDA Acting and LAMDA Speaking of Verse and Prose exam courses. If you are interested in either please click on the link to put your child on the waiting list.

Preparing for and taking LAMDA exams is great. Not only will children have their work seen and critiqued by an independent and internationally recognised judging body, the skills that they learn along the way will be invaluable throughout life.

The process of finding a piece to perform that the student likes and that suits them, and then learning how to bring it to life compellingly and consistently is a huge achievement - one that brings pride and confidence.

Please have a look any what LAMDA themselves say about their different exams. If you are not sure which one would suit your child better please just get in touch.

Acting

The Speaking of Verse and Prose

Because the exam class has to be very small (to properly prepare the students for the exams), the fees for the class are higher than for the drama classes unfortunately - I have kept it as low as I could to make it feasible:

£12.50 per class paid termly

These regular classes for Years 4-8 are on Wednesdays 7:00-8:00 pm

LAMDA Class Waiting List

There is nothing I know that is quite like the thrill that you get when you learn how to see through a character’s eyes or feel the things that they feel. At heart, the very process of acting is life-affirming, joyful and exhilarating.