Welcome to the Musical Theatre Academy

The MTA was acknowledged within the industry to be a ground-breaking college, which focused on the individual student’s training. Running the UK’s original fast track programme for Musical Theatre (stage & screen) getting students industry-ready in 2 years, rather than the traditional 3 years.

Entry to The MTA was by (free) audition – no qualifications were necessary just an overwhelming desire to work as a performer, a strength in 2 disciplines, and the ability to be taught the 3rd.

We had more public performances than any other UK course, if you had a dream, the ambition and the drive to work as a performer, then The MTA was for you, because everyone here felt the same way. There were no career teachers at The MTA, only top working professionals who wanted to teach the next generation of performers.  We ran the one course for just 22 students/year, thereby ensuring that ALL of our students got the attention and stage time that they deserved.

Our graduates have been seen in shows such as Wicked, Les Miserables, Book of Mormon, Bat Out Of Hell, Hairspray, The Grinning Man, The Band, Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Half A Sixpence, Sister Act, Rocky Horror Show, Six, working for companies such as the Royal National Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Cameron Mackintosh, Really Useful Group, for major cruise ships such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Aida, on the big screen in films such as Mamma Mia 2, Emma, on the small screen in TV programmes including Dixi, Holby City, Call The Midwife. From The Blue Man Group over in New York to the Avenue Q UK tour, we were proud to create careers

Annemarie Lewis Thomas
Principal

The Stage Awards

The MTA was the only college to have won The Stage Newspaper’s “School of the Year Award” twice.
In 2012 the citation named us as a “. . . new force in drama training” for our innovative fast track programme
In 2017 the citation commended our industry wide #time4change Mental Health Charter for Performing Arts, recognising it to have opened up a conversation around mental health. It also acknowledged the success of our graduates in major productions.

100%

of our students secured INDEPENDENT agent representation prior to graduating