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Drama school in Hammersmith, London

The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Barons Court London. It is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. 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, as well as on the BBC, HBO, and Broadway. 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 39 Olivier Awards. LAMDA is in partnership with the Fulbright Program. Each year one U. S. applicant is awarded a Fulbright Scholarship by the UK Fulbright Commission to study for a Master of Arts in classical acting at the school. LAMDA Examinations in the fields of speech, drama, 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.

The London Academy of Music was established by Henry Wylde in 1861 in St. James's Hall; there were separate sections for men and women. Teaching began on 15 November 1861, at which time the cost per annum was 15guineas, or £15 15s 0d. Students of all ages "with a decided talent, or showing an aptitude for learning" were admitted. It was a performance of Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3.) In due course the Hampstead Academy was also amalgamated. The name was changed to the current name in 1935, under the direction of Wilfrid Foulis. In 1939, it was moved from London due to the war; when it reopened in 1945, it no longer provided musical training. However, singing has remained integral to LAMDA's actor training and in 2023 it introduced a new MFA Musical Theatre programme. LAMDA was previously an associate member of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, having joined in 2004, and received funding through the Conservatoire from the Office for Students. It left the Conservatoire on 31 July 2019 to become an independent institution, and now receives funding directly from the Office for Students and Research England. LAMDA is a member of Conservatoires UK an elite group of drama and music schools in the United Kingdom. In August 2021 it was announced that Sarah Frankcom would step down as Director, and that LAMDA was conducting a search for a successor. In August 2022, LAMDA announced that Professor Mark O'Thomas had been unanimously appointed by the board of trustees as principal and chief executive, with Dr. Philippa Standberg Long appointed as head of actor training. The site was previously home to the Royal Ballet School, which moved to new, purpose built facilities adjacent to the Royal Opera House. The LAMDA complex has three theatres and various rehearsal spaces and meeting rooms. The three theatres are the Sainsbury Theatre, the Carne Studio Theatre and the Linbury Studio.