Shakespeare Summer School (8 Weeks)
Summer School (8 Weeks)
Our flagship 8-week Shakespeare Summer School is a unique opportunity to experience eight weeks of training at LAMDA, investigating and bringing to life the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries.
This course runs for eight immersive weeks at LAMDA’s London campus in Summer 2025.
Highlights
Explore the cornerstones of classical acting, led by LAMDA’s world-leading tutors.
Rehearse and perform two abridged classical plays, directed by expert LAMDA directors.
Augment your study with field trips to Stratford-Upon-Avon and Shakespeare’s Globe.
Worth 8 credits for US students.
Is this course for me?
Intermediate Level Course
Age Requirement: 18+
This course is designed for anyone who has acting experience and wants to further their understanding of performing the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries.
The course is particularly suitable for those who are studying at college/university and wish to further their study. It would also benefit actors and performers who would like to deepen their practice through detailed exploration of classical text.
Overview
Location
In-person at LAMDA
Accreditation
8 credits (US)
Two modules at HE level 4, totalling 30 credits
Course Fee
UK Applicants:
£3,500
International Applicants:
£6,010
Course Dates
Monday 16 June - Friday 8 August 2025
From 10am - 5:30pm each day
Course Length
8 Weeks
Application Fee
£21
Application Deadline
Monday 9 June 2025 at 10am (BST)
Applications are closed for 2025.
Register interest for Summer 2026:
About the course
This course is an essential opportunity for anyone serious about Shakespeare and Elizabethan/Jacobean drama to work as an ensemble for the summer and experience LAMDA’s word-leading classical actor training.
A busy and exciting timetable is designed to help you develop a deep understanding of classical poetic text, and to give you the tools to unlock that text in performance. During your time on the course, you’ll rehearse two projects, lasting around four weeks each. Alongside your project rehearsals you will receive skills classes in movement, acting, voice, singing, social dance and stage combat.
At LAMDA we believe in the joy of interrogating the many complexities that surround the classical canon, and we will together explore historical context of Shakespeare and contemporaries then, as well as look at its relevance now.
At the root of LAMDA’s teaching is the ethos of the ensemble – the belief that drama is a collaborative art form. As such, you’ll be encouraged to work together as a company, learning from and sharing with each other.
In addition to the practical classes and rehearsals, the course also includes specialist Masterclasses, as well as a field trip with your course mates. Students on this course are usually from all over the world, so you will meet many like-minded international students to explore London with.
What will I learn?
- Voice classes will focus on the vocal techniques required to perform any form of set text, and the muscularity required to work on poetic language.
- In acting classes, you’ll be introduced to contemporary acting techniques used to free the actor, as well as text analysis techniques to unlock and embody classical text.
- Movement classes will explore methods of releasing the body, finding a sense of play, and encouraging the actor to make bold and embodied choices.
- In your singing classes, you can expect to utilize song and music as a tool to find the musicality of the language of poetic text, and to understanding the role of song and singing in storytelling.
During the course, you will work on two rehearsal projects – one abridged, reimagined version of a Shakespeare play and one abridged, reimagined version of an Elizabethan or Jacobean play. Each project will last approximately four weeks, with rehearsals taking place every day alongside skills classes. This will culminate in a relaxed internal sharing.
The rehearsal projects are facilitated by world-leading LAMDA Directors and will be directed through the lens of today: you’ll be utilising classical text, but approaching it from a relevant, modern perspective.
Both projects will have input from voice, movement and singing support directors, meaning that this really mirrors a typical LAMDA rehearsal process, and allows students to connect their skills class work with rehearsal.
Updated in March 2025:
“The experience was transformative... The atmosphere at LAMDA was both challenging and inspiring, and being surrounded by such talented peers was motivating.”
Is this course for me?
This course is for experienced actors, who would like to build their toolkit for working with Classical Text. Your previous experience does not need to be professional, but the intensity and rigour of the training we provide requires commitment and a willingness to be challenged.
If you are already studying drama, acting or theatre at conservatoire, university or college, or you’re considering further conservatoire training at postgraduate level, this course is the perfect first step to get a taste of LAMDA life and our work in Classical Text. It's also useful for professional actors who wish to ‘refresh’ their knowledge of classical work.
Participants must be over the age of 18 and have a level of English that is approximately IELTS 6.0.
Please note that on the overnight trip you will share a twin room with another member of the course.
This is an intermediate level course, and is designed for participants with some acting experience.
Key Information
Need to ask a question? View our FAQs or contact our Short Courses Team.
As well as having the opportunity to explore the glittering culture London has to offer during your free time, you’ll also experience exciting trips with your cohort on the 8-Week Shakespeare Summer School. This includes:
- A trip to watch William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare's Globe
- A trip to watch W Somerset Maugham’s The Constant Wife at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)
- A guided tour of Anne Hathway’s Cottage and Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon
- An overnight stay at Alveston Manor in Stratford-upon-Avon
- Free time to explore Stratford-upon-Avon
You should have a level of English that is approximately IELTS 6.0. Although English language tests aren't mandatory, we recommend that if you are a non-native English speaker and you do not have IELTS 6.0, then you must have equivalent English language experience.
To get the most from the course you should have some previous acting experience. We reserve the right to verify any qualifications you have highlighted in your application form. Our Admissions Team may assess these requirements during the application process, via a telephone call.
You can apply for this course through us directly or through the Study Abroad Office of your home university or college.
This course is designed with international students in mind. However, a small number of places are available for those from the UK.
UK Applicants:
£3,500
International Applicants:
£6,010
Application Fee:
£21
If you are offered a place on this course you will need to pay a 10% deposit within five days of the date of your offer email to secure your place:
You will then need to pay the remainder of the course fee within 28 days at the latest.
The accommodation fees on this course are in addition to the tuition fees mentioned on this page.
Please see below for information about our cancellation / refund policy.
An external student housing provider is available in London for those booked on either the four-week or eight-week Shakespeare summer courses as LAMDA does not have its own on-campus accommodation.
Rooms are on a first-come, first served basis and you must be over 18 – please contact [email protected] for further information once you have a confirmed place on the course.
The accommodation fees for this course are in addition to the tuition fees mentioned on this page.
