Musical Theatre Academy - School of the Year

The panel is keen to reward pluck alongside excellence and the Musical Theatre Academy has both these credentials in spades. Set up by Annemarie Lewis Thomas, the MTA offers two-year training courses rather than the traditional three-year format and aims to fast track its students into the industry. Lewis Thomas’ first cohort of students graduated in 2011. All of them have agent representation and, within one month of graduating, they had all secured at least one professional job or gig. These are the kind of statistics that the most established drama schools aim for – let alone a newcomer. The MTA also has a policy of only employing staff who are still actively working in the industry. Deciding to adopt this strategy as a fledgling school could not have been easy, but demonstrates the professionalism of the enterprise, forging an active link between the students and the sector from the outset.

Within just a few years of opening, Lewis Thomas and her team have established themselves as a new force in drama training that is not afraid to approach things differently. The panel unanimously wanted to recognise their vision with this award.