The Bridge Theatre Training Company: 'Our students remain part of the family'

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, the Bridge Theatre Training Company not only adapted quickly, but increased its offering to students, ensuring that no one was left behind by a tumultuous year.

As many schools turned to remote teaching to complete their courses, the Bridge always kept in mind the importance of providing the highest quality face-to-face training for students. “When lockdown hit in March, we ended our spring term early,” says joint artistic director Mark Akrill. “We owed our students 11-and-a-half weeks of teaching. After a month of online classes in August, we went back to live teaching in September, and kept our students on alongside the new intake through to December. Rather than 11 weeks, they ended up having 20 weeks of teaching.”

Mark explains that there are some aspects of the course that cannot be done easily online, such as the combat training, for which the Bridge is renowned. And, on top of the world-class training, last year’s graduates were still able to have an end-of-year showcase at London’s Criterion Theatre. When the government announced (the day before) that audiences would not be allowed, the Bridge team made sure the performance was filmed so that the recording could be sent out to agents and casting directors.

As graduate Mitesh Rajput points out: “They gave us everything that was promised, including the stage combat exam, the showcase in a West End theatre and the contemporary show.”

This year, students will have a 17-week live term, running in an extended form from April to July, rather than a shorter term involving online lessons. “It’s all about giving our students the preparation they need,” Mark says. Graduate Francesca Alfano feels lucky to have been able to finish the postgraduate course with live training. She says: "I have to thank the Bridge for that. Not all drama school graduates in 2020 have had this chance.”

The past year has also been a learning opportunity for the Bridge team. The Bridge has always been about creating a community, but Mark is more aware than ever of how important it is to keep in touch with students during holidays. Recently, staff members have been organising workshops, catch-ups and socials with students. “Even in normal times, that’s when people can start to feel isolated. We want them to know that we’re here for them.”

That sense of community is fundamental to the Bridge’s ethos. Mark and joint artistic director Judith Pollard set up the Bridge 27 years ago, motivated by the desire to offer an affordable alternative to mainstream drama schools, and to create a company of actors that learned and worked together.

Based in Camden, an artistic hub in the heart of London and a stone’s throw from the West End, the school’s size ranges from 35 to 50 students at any one time. That small size means there is a close focus on the individual, and on fostering a tight-knit collective.

“It’s a company,” says Mark. “We’re very proud of that fact – and that’s become massively important during the pandemic, because people have become more dependent on each other. We keep in touch with graduates for many years. We’re always there for people afterwards. Students might come back to us to prepare an audition or to check contracts or to get support and advice of all kinds. Sometimes they come back to work for us, too, as actors, stage managers and teachers. So many of them remain part of the family.”

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