London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and was a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. In January 2025 the school expanded to New York City through a partnership with A.R.T. New York in Manhattan to provide studio training to actors in the US. LAMDA was ranked as the No. 1 drama school in the UK by The Guardian University Guide in 2025. The academy's graduates work regularly at the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare's Globe, and the theatres of London's West End and Hollywood and Broadway in the US. It is registered as a company under the name LAMDA Ltd and as a charity under its trading name London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. There is an associate organisation in America under the name of American Friends of LAMDA (AFLAMDA). A very high proportion of LAMDA's stage management and technical theatre graduates find work in their chosen field within weeks of graduation. LAMDA alumni have received 5 Academy Awards (out of 13 Oscar nominations), 10 SAG Awards, 13 Tonys, 15 Emmys, 19 Golden Globes, 21 BAFTAs, and 40 Olivier Awards. LAMDA has a long-established partnership with the Fulbright Program. Each year one U.S. applicant is awarded a Fulbright Scholarship by the US/UK Fulbright Commission to study for a Master of Arts in Classical Acting at the school. LAMDA Examinations in the fields of speech, drama, musical theatre, communication, and performance are taken by external students and are recognised by Ofqual, the regulator in England, and its counterparts in Wales and Northern Ireland. LAMDA-accredited examinations at Level 3 or above are recognised within the UCAS Tariff system. LAMDA's Principal is Professor Mark O'Thomas, who succeeded Director Sarah Frankcom in 2022. Benedict Cumberbatch succeeded Timothy West as President of LAMDA's board of trustees in 2018.