| The Musical Theatre Academy | |
| Motto: | Rigorously Professional |
| Established: | 2009 |
| Head Label: | Principal/CEO |
| Head: | Annemarie Lewis Thomas |
| Founder: | Annemarie Lewis Thomas |
| Specialist: | Performing Arts |
| Address: | Bernie Grant Arts Centre Townhall Approach Road |
| City: | London |
| Country: | England |
| Postcode: | N15 4RX |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| Free Label 2: | Students |
| Free 2: | 42 |
| Website: | http://www.themta.co.uk/ |
The Musical Theatre Academy (The MTA) was a drama college based in Islington, London.[1] Founded in 2009, the school closed at the end of the 2021–2022 academic year. The principal, Annemarie Lewis Thomas, announced that students in their final term would still graduate and the other students would be helped to find places in other institutions.[2]
The MTA was opened in 2009 by Annemarie Lewis Thomas.[3] [4] In 2012, it was awarded The Stage Award of School of the Year in 2012, who described the school as "a new force in drama training."[5] 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.[6] [7]
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 received a guarantee that their fees are spent on training, not on securing a profit, and consequently the academy was granted charitable status in 2012.[8]
The course ran over 4 terms per year with 40 hours contact time per week, with classes evenly divided between acting, dancing and singing. All of its staff were working in the theatre whilst teaching.[9] It produced public performances every term – shows included the world premieres of Lia's Guide to Winning The Lottery (by Keren David, Paul Herbet and Andy Kaby), In Touch[10] [11] (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), and Animus (by Webborn and Finn).
The academy was the only UK college to have a policy of supporting new writing in the UK and regularly had composers coming in to work with the students on new material.[12] The MTA saw itself as a college for life, providing graduates with care, support and help.[13] In its first 10 years (2009-2019), 100% of students had secured agent representation prior to graduating.[14]
One of the academy's productions was Something Old, Something New – The Musical Theatre Revue'.[15]
The students (as part of their training) were 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.[16] 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.
| Date | Performance | Venue | Writer | Music | Director | Choreographer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2010 | Something Old, Something New | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | ||||
| June 2010 | Bad Girls | The Drill Hall | Maureen Chadwick & Ann McManus | Kath Gotts | Simon Greiff | |
| 15–17 Sept 2010 | Dangerous Daughters | The Drill Hall | Nick Stimson | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Nick Stimson | |
| Dec 2010 | Cinderella | The Drill Hall | Daniel O'Brien | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | ||
| 16–19 Mar 2011 | Something Old, Something New | The Drill Hall | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Jack Gunn | ||
| 15–18 June 2011 | Zombie Prom | The Drill Hall | John Dempsey | Dana P Rowe | Helen Evens | |
| 14–17 Sept 2011 | Celebs Anon | The Drill Hall | Nick Stimson | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Pip Minnthorpe | |
| 20–23 Dec 2011 | Puss In Boots | Waterloo East | Daniel O'Brien | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Gerry Flanagan | |
| 14–16 Dec 2011 | Don Juan | Waterloo East | n/a | Helen Evans | ||
| 14–17 Mar 2012 | Something Old, Something New | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Jack Gunn | |||
| 13–16 June 2012 | In Touch | Bridewell Theatre | Dougal Irvine | Dougal Irvine | John Brant | |
| 12–15 Sept 2012 | The Sunshine Gang | Bridewell Theatre | Nick Stimson | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Kate Golledge | |
| 12–15 Dec 2012 | Jack & The Beanstalk | Daniel O'Brien | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Howard Samuels | ||
| 13–15 Dec 2012 | Electra | Courtyard Theatre, London | n/a | Helen Evens | ||
| 13–16 Mar 2013 | Something Old, Something New | Bridewell Theatre | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Jack Gunn | ||
| 12–15 June 2013 | Lia's Guide To Winning The Lottery | Bridewell Theatre | Keren David | Paul Herbert | Ryan McBryde | |
| 11–14 Sept 2013 | The Ballad of Kitty Jay | Bridewell Theatre | Nick Stimson | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Pip Minnithorpe | |
| Dec 2013 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Courtyard | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Howard Samuels | ||
| Dec 2013 | Ting Tang Mine | Courtyard Theatre | Tilly Vosburgh | |||
| Mar 2014 | Something Old, Something New | Bridewell Theatre | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Jack Gunn | ||
| June 2014 | Just So | Bridewell Theatre | Inga Davis-Rutter | Christian Durham | Cressida Carre | |
| 10–13 Sept 2014 | Just The Ticket | Bridewell Theatre | Nick Stimson | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Simon Greiff | Carly Hainsby |
| 10–17 Dec 2014 | Beauty & the Beast | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | Daniel O'Brien | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Howard Samuels | Helen Siveter |
| 15–17 Dec 2014 | Welcome to Thebes | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | n/a | Tilly Vosburgh | ||
| 11–14 Mar 2015 | Something Old, Something New | Bridewell Theatre | Annmarie Lewis Thomas | Cressida Carre | ||
| 10–13 June 2015 | Sunshine On Leith | Bridewell Theatre | Stephen Greenhorn | Mary McAdam | Michael Howcroft | Helen Rymer |
| 9–12 Sept 2015 | The Venus Factor | Bridewell Theatre | Nick Stimson | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Pip Minnithorpe | Carly Hainsby |
| 9–19 Dec 2015 | Cinderella | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | Daniel O'Brien | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Howard Samuels | Cris Penfold |
| Dec 2015 | A State Affair | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | n/a | Paul Foster | ||
| 9–12 Mar 2016 | Something Old, Something New | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Steve Elias | ||
| 8–11 June 2016 | Around The World In 80 Days | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | Phil Willmott | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Racky Plews | |
| 7–10 Sept 2016 | Animus | Bridewell Theatre | Michael Webborn & Daniel Finn | Michael Webborn | Christian Durham | Helen Rymer |
| Dec 2016 | "Robinson Crusoe" | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | Daniel O'Brien | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Howard Samuels | Nicky Griffiths |
| Dec 2016 | "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | n/a | Tilly Vosburgh | ||
| March 2017 | "Something Old, Something New" | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Steve Elias | ||
| June 2017 | "All Shook Up" | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | Kevin Oliver Jones | Max Reynolds | Heather Douglas | |
| September 2017 | "Dangerous Daughters" | Bridewell | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Racky Plews | ||
| December 2017 | "Mother Goose" | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Omar F Okai | ||
| December 2017 | "By The Bog Of Cats" | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | N/A | Tilly Vosburgh | ||
| March 2018 | "Something Old, Something New" | Bernie Grant Arts Centre | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Steve Elias | ||
| June 2018 | "Seussical" | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Cressida Carré | |||
| September 2018 | "Oh My, Nellie Bly" | Bridewell | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Simon Kane | Chris Whittaker | |
| December 2018 | "Cinderella" | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Omar F Okai | |||
| December 2018 | "Our Mutual Friend" | Tower Theatre | N/A | Tilly Vosburgh | ||
| March 2019 | "Something Old, Something New" | Bridewell | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Steve Elias | ||
| June 2019 | "Calamity Jane" | Bridewell | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Derek Bond | Lucie Pankhurst | |
| September 2019 | "The Sunshine Gang" | Bridewell | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Simon Greiff | Alec Mann | |
| December 2019 | "Dick Whittington" | Tower Theatre (Folkestone) | Annemarie Lewis Thomas | Howard Samuels | Helen Siveter | |
| December 2019 | "For The Love of The Nightingale" | Tower Theatre | Tilly Vosburgh | |||