Be ready for the future: postgraduate courses at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Home to a litany of illustrious alumni, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is the perfect establishment – and location – to undertake a postgraduate course and prepare for your career
Daniel Day-Lewis. Jeremy Irons. Naomie Harris. Olivia Colman. Patrick Stewart. Josh O’Connor. Theo James. John Caird. Bob Crowley. Billy Howle. The list of actors, directors, designers, stage managers, costume professionals and other artists who trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is an illustrious one.
“There are only a few thousand Bristol Old Vic Theatre School alumni in the world,” says Fiona Francombe, the school’s principal and chief executive. “The impact that those people have had on the industry since the late 1940s is immense, though. When you train at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, you instantly become a member of an amazing global alumni community.”
Preparing you for a career
The drama school is currently accepting applications to start one of its six postgraduate courses – MFA Professional Acting, MA Screen Acting, MFA Professional Voice Studies, MA Drama Writing, MA Drama Directing, and MA Performance Design – in September 2025. The closing date is February 28, so there is not long for applicants to submit.
Each of the six programmes offers full-time, in-person, conservatoire-style training.
"There are many things that make our courses so special and popular with students," explains Francombe. “The small class sizes, the care and attention that our staff give to every student, the faculty’s excellent industry knowledge and experience, the cross-collaboration that happens throughout the school, and more.”
That collaboration – a product of the intimate nature of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s postgraduate “hub” – is what really sets the school apart, continues Francombe. And it means that students graduate with experience in how the industry actually works.
“All the courses are interconnected,” she explains. “Throughout their training, actors, directors, writers and designers constantly work together, imagining and staging productions, replicating the real-world experiences they will have after they graduate. When they leave us, they are as prepared as possible for whatever the industry throws at them.”
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Join an elite
What can students expect from each course?
On the MFA Professional Acting programme, students develop their skills as actors for stage and screen, getting the opportunity to act in a full production at a Bristol venue, and perform in an end-of-year showcase in front of agents, casting directors and other industry professionals.
MA Screen Acting, meanwhile, is tailored to those interested in working in film and television. Students develop skills specific to working on screen, collaborate on projects and graduate with a portfolio of work to help them start working professionally. Bristol, as one of only 26 UNESCO Cities of Film worldwide, is the ideal place to complete such a course.
“Our acting courses are extremely prestigious,” says Ali de Souza, director of drama. “They have a huge history of producing quality actors. They really are the pinnacle of actor training.”
“We welcome students based in the UK from a wide range of backgrounds on to our acting courses, too,” De Souza continues. “They might have already done some training, perhaps an undergraduate degree or a diploma. They might already have experience in the industry. They might be looking to make a career change. All we really look for is people who are talented, committed and ready for a year of intense training.”
Finding your own voice
The MA Performance Design course offers students the opportunity to study both set and costume design, as well as the chance to work on several shows throughout the course. Students graduate from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School with a portfolio of design concepts under their arm, ready to work professionally. That is just one of the reasons the course is so highly regarded by the industry.
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s MFA Professional Voice Studies offers training for those interested in becoming experts in voice and dialect work.
“That is not voice as in singing, but voice as in dialects and accents and projection, and all the techniques and biology surrounding that,” explains De Souza. “Typically, students are actors trying to expand their skill set or diversify their career, speech and language therapists looking to move into the performing arts, or people who want to coach business professionals with their confidence and presentation skills and more.”
Students on Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s MA Drama Writing course develop dramaturgical skills, devise shows and radio plays, and graduate having staged a reading of a full-length play they have completed during the course.
Those on the MA Drama Directing course, meanwhile, can expect to study and practise directing in depth, naturally, but also get the opportunity to build professional connections and industry networks as part of their programme.
“With all of our courses, we welcome people with a range of experiences,” says Francombe. “And with all courses, students can expect a lot of creation and collaboration.”
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A friendly location to learn
All of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s postgraduate programmes are delivered by the drama school’s experienced faculty of tutors, plus a regular roster of visiting professionals, many of whom are alumni themselves. All of the courses are based at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s famous campus in the picturesque Clifton area of Bristol, where the facilities include historic teaching rooms and modern studios.
“The school has a homely, friendly, inspiring vibe that everyone falls in love with as soon as they walk through the door,” enthuses Francombe. “And Bristol is a wonderful city to be a student in. There is so much going on here.”
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School takes care of its students, too, facilitating pre-course interaction via social media, offering plenty of pastoral and financial support, and supplying a list of approved accommodation providers for the duration of their studies. Often, students find themselves emulating the experiences of their industry heroes.
“A lot of the rented houses have been used by students here for years,” says Francombe. “Just last week, I heard someone excitedly say they were living in Theo James’ old room.”
For more information, visit oldvic.ac.uk
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