Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art explained

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

The school was founded in London in 1926 as the Webber Douglas School of Singing, by Walter Johnstone Douglas (youngest son of Arthur Johnstone-Douglas) and Amherst Webber. 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. 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.

Alumni

See

• Steven Berkoff
• Hugh Bonneville
• Nicola Bryant
• Natalie Dormer
• Minnie Driver
• Rupert Evans
• JJ Feild
• Julian Fellowes
• Gregory Finnegan
• Rebecca Front
• Matthew Goode
• Angela Lansbury
• Nigel Lindsay
• Katy Manning
• Julia Ormond
• Douglas Reith
• Ben Roberts
• Amanda Root
• John Sackville
• Antony Sher
• Donald Sinden
• Samantha Spiro
• Terence Stamp
• Shaun Williamson^[4]

External links

• • • Central School of Speech and Drama homepage
• Walter Henry George Johnstone-Douglas in Burke's Landed Gentry

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Notes and References

1. https://web.archive.org/web/20041227140313/https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/1774/ "Central and Webber Douglas to Merge."
2. Chambers, Colin. Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre. Continuum, 2002. p. 221.
3. Gunn, John. Acting for You. London: Lutterworth Press, 1957. p. 145.
4. Web site: Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Topics at DuckDuckGo. duckduckgo.com.