​​​Actor Training

Guildford & Leatherhead

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Thursdays | Leatherhead Theatre 19:00 - 21:00

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Sundays | Mayhew Theatre | Guildford · 16:00 - 18:00

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10-week terms · £295 per term

Max 15 actors for ages 18+

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A Professional, Supportive, and Collaborative Space for Adult Acting Classes

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There Is No Secret Way to Learn How to Act—It’s Already in You.

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You are already the actor. My role is simply to hand you the tools, exercises, and direction that help you unlock what is already there.

Together, we explore different approaches to acting, from Stanislavski and Meisner to other influential practitioners. We try them, question them, and play with them in a completely supportive environment. Some things will work beautifully for you; some won't. That is a natural, welcome part of the process.

Ultimately, I'm here to help you collaborate, experiment, and find your own way to act truthfully.

 

 

Train. Practise. Play.

Every class follows a simple, active principle designed to get you on your feet:

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TRAIN → PRACTISE → PLAY

• Train: We learn a specific element of the craft together.

• Practise: We get up and try it out in small, encouraging groups.

• Play: We put it into action through an exercise, improvisation, screen work, or a scene.

You won't spend two hours sitting around talking about acting—you will be actively doing it. The training is practical, progressive, and deliberately actor-centred. Together, we learn to listen, imagine, respond, and work truthfully within the circumstances of the story. As you develop, the goal isn't to follow a rigid method, but to grow increasingly confident in your own unique skin.

 

 

The Freedom to Play and Fail Safely

I believe the word player tells us something vital about what actors actually do. We play circumstances, relationships, and characters. Most importantly, we play with each other.

True training isn't about arriving with the perfect answer. It is about building the resilience to try something, fail, adapt, and keep exploring. Because the actor's work requires courage and curiosity, our room is a strictly safe space to make mistakes. We lift each other up, leave daily habits at the door, and discover the joy of genuinely inhabiting someone else's world alongside a supportive ensemble.

 

 

The Actor's Toolkit

There isn't one system that holds all the answers. We treat different approaches as tools rather than strict rules, exploring:

• Stanislavski: Circumstances, objectives, and truthful behaviour.

• Meisner: Deep listening and living genuinely in the moment.

• Uta Hagen: Inhabiting the imaginary world naturally.

• Michael Chekhov: Imagination, physicality, and transformation.

• Voice, Movement & Text: Freeing your body and voice to find the rhythm and action within language—including Shakespeare.

 

 

What We'll Explore Together

• Character: Discovering who your character is and making specific choices when those choices meet another actor.

• Scene Work: This is where acting really happens—between people. You'll learn to genuinely listen and respond rather than simply delivering lines.

• Improvisation & Play: Developing imagination, spontaneity, and the confidence to make choices without knowing what happens next.

• Screen Acting: Guided by my professional background in directing and producing showreels, you'll learn how a tiny reaction or change in thought translates powerfully to the camera.

• Professional Practice: Demystifying auditions, self-tapes, rehearsal-room etiquette, and what it means to work professionally.

 

 

A Close-Knit Company, Not a Drop-In Class

The Super 8 Company is deliberately kept small, with a maximum of 15 actors.

I trained in a year group of 15 at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and I know firsthand how transformative a close-knit, collaborative ensemble can be. Fifteen is large enough to create a beautifully diverse company and dynamic scenes, but small enough that everyone gets to work, everyone gets directed, and everyone truly gets to know one another. This isn't an intimidating room of 30 people where you spend the evening watching from the sidelines. It is one dedicated ensemble.

 

 

Who Is It For?

(You don't need to have acted since you were eight, and you don't need drama school experience.)

This company will thrive on it's mix of different ages, backgrounds, and life experiences. What matters most is that you are curious, committed, and willing to play. I welcome adults at every stage of the journey:

• Starting Out: You’ve always wanted to act, and you’re finally ready to give it a proper go in a welcoming space.

• Returning: You trained or acted years ago and want a safe, inspiring room to find your way back.

• Developing & Taking it Further: You want structured, ongoing training to deepen your craft, prepare for professional auditions, or get camera-ready.

 

 

Your Director & Coach: Matthew Bearne

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School · Actor · Director · Credits include Netflix, Disney, Sky

I trained professionally at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and have worked as an actor and director for more than 30 years. Alongside directing for the screen, I have created showreels for hundreds of creatives through Actor Showreels by Matthew Bearne.

My approach to teaching comes directly from the warmth and curiosity of a collaborative rehearsal room: practical, engaging, and entirely actor focused. I am here to work with you, helping you develop something much more valuable than a rigid method. It's about me helping you find your own, unique, way of working.​​​