History
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906 (as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art) to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students.
Education
We offer a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, research degrees and short courses in acting, actor training, applied theatre, theatre crafts and making, design, drama therapy, movement, musical theatre, performance, producing, puppetry, research, scenography, stage management, teacher training, technical arts, voice and writing.
Research
Research @ Central explores contemporary practices of theatre-making and performance as well as their cultural histories and lineages. It interrogates theatre and performance both in themselves and in interplay with other disciplines, including their wider socio-cultural, institutional, political, and material-economic contexts and conditions.
Student services
The Student Advice Service is the first port of call for all non-academic student enquiries and offers assistance with many aspects of your student experience including:
- Accommodation
- International student support
- Managing finances
- Student Wellbeing concerns
- TFL Student Oyster Discounts
- Student Letters
Pastoral student support at Central is provided by the Student Advice Service which is located in our Student Centre on the first floor of the East Block, directly above the Library.
Housing services
Organising your accommodation may seem challenging, but the Student Advice Service can offer straightforward guidance and support as you decide where you would like to live during your studies. The majority of students studying at Central choose to live in Private Rented Accommodation - we can help you find what you're looking for.
Library services
The Library has a wide range of specialist drama and theatre practice resources offered in a learning environment that is supportive and inspires creativity. Staff will help you to discover the information and resources you need to succeed and achieve as a student or researcher.
Campus life
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’s main campus is located in Swiss Cottage, within the borough of Camden; a dynamic, artistic area full of theatres, bars, restaurants and art galleries. Central’s Bankside Studios are located a stone’s throw from the River Thames, just around the corner from the legendary Shakespeare’s Globe.