The rise and fall of The Actors Center
1978
The Actors Centre is founded as a charity by Clive Swift, Sheila Hancock, John Alderton and William Hobs. Its founding patron is Sir Lawrence Olivier. The vision is to create a space where working actors can network and support each other as well as continue their professional training. The first workshops take place at Tottenham Court Road, led by Sir Ian McKellen. Early members and tutors include Dame Judi Dench and Danny Boyle.
1986
Sir Alec Guinness becomes Patron.
1994
The Actors Centre finds its permanent home at 1A Tower Street. The building is purchased with the support of Sir Anthony Hopkins and is transformed into a creative home for actors offering continuous actor training alongside curated seasons of professional work from emerging and established companies.
Sir Alan Bates becomes the organisation’s Patron and raises money to establish the Tristan Bates Theatre in memory of his late son.
2005 – 2019
In 2005, The Alan Bates Bursary is created in memory of the late actor.
High-profile, leading actors become Patrons, includingDame Julie Walters, Rafe Spall, Joely Richardson, David Harewood, Indira Varma and Joseph Millson.
By 2017 it offers a curated programme of over 2,150 workshops for continued development. The range of classes include classical and contemporary text, musical theatre, improvisation, poetry performance, comedy and stand-up, writing, voiceover, sight-reading, a range of acting techniques like Meisner, Stanislavski, Uta Hagen, acting for the camera, audition technique, marketing, branding and TV presenting.
By 2019, reported membership is 2,158.
2020
March: The Actors Centre closes due to the Pandemic. Throughout the rest of the year, it offers a few online workshops and shows.
The reported membership on 31st March 2020 shows a significant fall to 939.
April: Financial Crisis: #SupportTheActorsCentre fundraiser is launched, supported by Joanna Lumley, to save The Actors Centre from closure. Members, practitioners and luminaries contribute to the campaign and some members donate their class credits.
A number of grants and donations are received:
£360,000 from the Cultural Recovery Fund
£51,000 from Camden Council
£40,000 from Sir Ian McKellen
£10,000 from the late Paula Jacobs on behalf of the Clive Swift Charitable Foundation
Total of £461,000
Source: The Actors Centre 2021 Annual Report and Accounts
2021
26th June: Death of Paula Jacobs, a former Director of the Actors Centre.
2nd September: Death of Joan Washington – dialect coach at the Actors Centre. She met her future husband, Richard E Grant, in one of her voice classes.
9 November: The day before the official press release, Seven Dials Playhouse announce the repurposing of The Actors Centre to its members via email. This is the first time many members, practitioners and donors hear of this change.
2022
26th – 27th January: Two meetings – one for Actors Centre members (26th) and the other for practitioners (27th) – are held via Zoom by Seven Dials Playhouse. A large number of members and practitioners are not invited to these meetings.
Concerns are expressed about the news that a curated regular weekly workshop programme for actors will not be offered at any time in the future – and questions are asked about the scant consultation process that has led to this decision. Many agree that Seven Dials Playhouse sounds like a repurposing of the building as a receiving house rather than a rebrand of an invaluable resource and home for actors.
In the days following these meetings Actor at the Centre is formed to bring everyone together who believes this decision to be a mistake.
The Actors Centre building at 1A Tower Street is now another West End venue. Actors have lost a vital community, ongoing professional training and their creative home.
Register now to find out more, join the fight, and take part in the community that’s working to put actors back in the centre.