Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, formerly the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art, was a drama school, and originally a singing school, in London. It was one of the leading drama schools in Britain, and offered comprehensive training for those intending to pursue a professional performance career.
History
[edit]The school was founded in London in 1926 as the Webber Douglas School of Singing,[1] by Walter Johnstone Douglas (youngest son of Arthur Johnstone-Douglas) and Amherst Webber.[1] It was created from the singing academy founded in 1906 in Paris by Jean de Reszke.[1] By 1932, the school had added full theatrical training to its curriculum, and was renamed the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art.[2][3] It was located at 30 Clareville St in South Kensington.
In 2006, the academy was absorbed into the Central School of Speech and Drama.[1] Many of the academy's past alumni have formed a theatre company dedicated to keeping the original spirit of the school alive. In 2009, the Central School of Speech and Drama renamed its Embassy Studio the Webber Douglas Studio.[1]
Alumni
[edit]- Joe Anderson
- Kate Anthony
- Steven Berkoff
- Hugh Bonneville
- Nicola Bryant
- Natalie Dormer
- Minnie Driver
- Rupert Evans
- JJ Feild
- Julian Fellowes
- Gregory Finnegan
- Angela Flowers[4]
- Johnny Flynn
- Rupert Friend
- Rebecca Front
- Matthew Goode
- Ross Kemp
- Angela Lansbury
- Nigel Lindsay
- Katy Manning
- Julia Ormond
- Garnon Davies
- Clara Perez
- Douglas Reith
- Sutara Gayle
- Ben Roberts
- Amanda Root
- John Sackville
- Antony Sher
- Donald Sinden
- Samantha Spiro
- Terence Stamp
- Bill Treacher
- Irem Bekter
- Shaun Williamson[5]
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c d e ""Central and Webber Douglas to Merge."". The Stage. 20 April 2004. Archived from the original on 27 December 2004.
- ^ Chambers, Colin. Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre. Continuum, 2002. p. 221.
- ^ Gunn, John. Acting for You. London: Lutterworth Press, 1957. p. 145.
- ^ Darwent, Charles (14 August 2023). "Angela Flowers obituary". Guardian. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
- ^ "Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Topics at DuckDuckGo". duckduckgo.com.
External links
[edit]- Webber Douglas website at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
- Webber Douglas website at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
- Central School of Speech and Drama homepage
- Walter Henry George Johnstone-Douglas in Burke's Landed Gentry
51°29′35″N 0°10′51″W / 51.49306°N 0.18083°W
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- 1926 establishments in the United Kingdom
- 2006 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
- Arts organizations established in 1926
- Arts organizations disestablished in 2006
- Drama schools in London
- Educational institutions established in 1926
- Educational institutions disestablished in 2006
- Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
- Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art