Musical Theatre Academy

The MTA opened in 2009 by Annemarie Lewis Thomas[2] running the UK's first accelerated learning programme in triple threat training.[3] It is also the only UK Musical Theatre college to split its acting focus between stage and screen. In 2012, it was awarded The Stage Award of School of the Year in 2012, who named them "a new force in drama training."[4] In 2017 The MTA was once again named as The Stage School of the Year. This time the citation commended them on the #time4change campaign, whilst acknowledging The MTA's growing influence within the training sector.

The academy was originally based at the Drill Hall (now the RADA Studios), before moving to 89 Holloway Road in 2011. In July 2015 the academy relocated to The Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham. Students receive a guarantee that their fees are spent on training, not on securing a profit, and consequently the academy was granted charitable status in 2012.

The college has been actively campaigning for better Mental Health provision within drama schools, and in 2016 hosted the #time4change conference, focussing on Mental Health within vocational colleges. In July 2016 it launched the #time4change Mental Health charter – which has over 100 companies signed up, including the Theatre Royal Stratford East, Rose Bruford College, Mountview, plus off West End production companies, along with over 60 theatrical agencies.

The course runs over 4 terms per year with 40 hours contact time per week, with classes evenly divided between all three disciplines. As a key policy all of its staff are currently working in the industry at a level of the West End (London)No 1 UK touring circuit or the equivalent in their area.[5] It produces public performances in an established off-West End venue every term – shows to date include the world premieres of Lia's Guide to Winning The Lottery (by Keren David, Paul Herbet and Andy Kaby), In Touch[6][7] (by Dougal Irvine), Dangerous Daughters, Celebs Anon, The Sunshine Gang, The Ballad of Kitty Jay, Just the Ticket and The Venus Factor (all by Nick Stimson and Annemarie Lewis Thomas), Animus (by Webborn and Finn)

The academy is the only UK college to have a core policy of supporting new writing in the UK and regularly has composers coming in to work with the students on new material, such as Chris Passey, Dougal Irvine, Tim Sutton and Laurence Mark Wythe.[8] The MTA sees itself as a college for life, providing their graduates with ongoing care, support and help.[9] In its first 10 years (2009-2019), 100% of students had secured agent representation prior to graduating.[10] One of the academy's productions is Something Old, Something New – The Musical Theatre Revue'.[11]

The students (as part of their training) are regularly seen in the West End in professional shows/concerts, and to date its students have backed Shoshana Bean, Patina Miller performed with Katherine Jenkins at the London Palladium, and sung on the album Lift by Craig Adams and Ian Watson.[12] They have also provided the ensemble for the Tommy Gala at the Prince Edward Theatre, the MMD 20th anniversary Gala at the Novello, and Julie Atherton – No Space for Air at the Apollo Theatre. More recently the students have been seen on several episodes of The Last Leg on Channel 4.

• Official website