Shakespeare in Focus: Leah Harvey

In 2016, Leah Harvey graduated from the BA Acting programme at LAMDA and went on to forge a hugely successful career as a stage and screen actor, from their BAFTA-nominated performance in Apple TV's Foundation, to the sci-fi film The Assessment and a spate of theatre roles including Small Island at the Royal National Theatre and starring as Rosalind in As You Like It at @sohoplace. The LAMDA grad dropped by to chat with us about what they love most about performing Shakespeare.

What were some of your best or most rewarding experiences on the BA (Hons) Professional Acting programme at LAMDA? 

Most people will attest to simply getting into the school as an extremely rewarding experience. I will say that meeting likeminded peers who had a passion for acting and all things performing really made the experience such a memorable one.  

I have a fond memory of a sonnet class with Judith Phillips which took place in our first term in 2013. Everyone had been tasked to perform a sonnet of their choosing to the class using whatever creative ideas came to mind. I chose sonnet 8, “Music to hear, why hear’st thou music sadly?” and I performed it sitting at the piano on Colet House.

Shakespeare likens a family unit to a musical chord and I played throughout, demonstrating the link between the words and the notes. I remember Judith being really pleased and my peers enjoying what I had done. It felt like an assurance that my lens on Shakespeare was interesting and unique and my worth investing in. Some believe the stigma that Shakespeare is only for certain people, especially when we're young.

So being encouraged through classes like the ones I had at LAMDA, with amazing teachers like Judith and others, really made an impact on my enjoyment and love of Shakespeare.

After graduation, you acted in As You Like It at @sohoplace and have performed at the Globe. What have been some of your personal highlights or favourite moments performing Shakespeare on stage? 

I’ve been lucky to have performed in quite a few Shakespeare plays since leaving LAMDA ten years ago. I’ve experienced many unforgettable moments from the scaffolding floor nearly collapsing under the audience as they stomped their feet at our last London performance of the The Tempest as part of the Donmar’s All Female Shakespeare Trilogy to being able to sign and speak and interpret to an enthralled crowd while playing Rosalind in As You Like It at @sohoplace.  

A particular recent highlight for me must be taking part in the Globe’s special one night only performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream this past September. I had three weeks to independently learn Hermia while filming a TV show which was a huge challenge but one I felt I could achieve. The cast met on the day of the performance and after a quick dress run (mostly to ensure we didn’t trip on our OP costumes) we performed to a sold out Globe Theatre. 

It was incredible, exhilarating, hilarious and terrifying and I utilised every single thing I had ever been taught about Shakespeare and performing on stage in order to pull it off with the rest of the cast. I’d recommend the experience to anyone, even if you get a group of Shakespeare friends together just for fun!

How does classical acting differ from a more contemporary approach? 

I like to try and bring the language closer to a modern sense of speaking and communicating but I think you can only do that if you have a thorough understanding of how the text originally wants to be performed. The more I engage with these plays, the more I grasp just how much there is for an actor to mine in the words.

I suppose the difference from a contemporary approach could be just how much you need to utilise the text. I often find myself applying the techniques I learnt in classical text classes to my selftape audition scripts, because it forces you to dive deeper and we as actors are always striving to dive.

Has adapting and acting in Shakespearean texts reframed his works for you or given you a new understanding or appreciation for them? 

Recently I was helping a friend with an audition for Hermia and we went through it really trying to make sure they understood the meaning and intentions within the lines and we had moments of euphoria when something landed or clicked. Being able to share that with someone who hadn’t engaged with Shakespeare as much was such a joy and sparked a deeper ambition to invest in this passion I have for the work. 

I’ve considered furthering my studies which feels like a huge next step in my Shakespeare journey,and I’d love to encourage anyone who feels the spark to try and ignite it even brighter. 

How has LAMDA training prepared you for your career as a professional actor in the wider world? What elements or learnings have you incorporated into your personal style of acting? 

As mentioned before, I use classical text techniques within my everyday practice, especially when it comes to understanding any script and my lessons at LAMDA provided me with a toolbox I'll never stop opening. We studied movement and singing and a plethora of things with a hope that it would all come in handy, which they all did.

And working with outside directors who brought a different type of energy to classical projects (I'm thinking of my still favourite second year project of Twelfth Night directed by Scott Handy) provided me with the confidence to leave the nest and confidently go toe to toe translating classical into modern speech with Dame Harriet Walter (and LAMDA legend) in The Tempest rehearsals.  

It’s worth saying that my first job out of drama school was performing three Shakespeare plays with a badass group of women and that experience paved the foundation for my practice and community in this industry moving forward. I feel that classical playsare about shared understanding within the ensemble, ultimate freedom of play and imagination and supporting your troupe of actors and creatives.

All of this is working towards sharing your joint interpretation of the play with the world and hopefully spreading some joy and empathy. And I like to approach every project with that in mind no matter the genre or style.  

Performing Shakespeare and classical texts can be intimidating. What would you say to new students to encourage or inspire them? 

Take your time. It's not a competition of who gets it first or who has the best Hermione speech. We each have something unique and, without even trying, we bring that into our work. Our perspectives are valuable and other perspectives should be valued equally. These classical texts have been performed for hundreds of years; everyone gets to have a go and hopefully we can all discover something new along the way.

Learn More 

Apply now to be part of LAMDA’s creative community in 2026, and explore classical actor training at LAMDA in greater depth with our Shakespeare in Focus series: 

Shakespeare in Focus