Anna Scher Theatre

Last updated

The Anna Scher Theatre School
TypeIndependent, Performing Arts School, Charity
Established1968;56 years ago (1968)
Principal
Students~1,000 [1]
Location
Islington, Greater London
,
England
AffiliationsSt Silas Church, Islington
Website www.annaschertheatre.com

The Anna Scher Theatre is an independent and co-educational performing arts school based in Islington, Greater London. It was founded in 1968 by Anna Scher. It is considered among the first schools of its kind geared towards working class students. [2]

Contents

Anna Scher personal life and death

Anna Valerie Scher, MBE , was born on 26 December 1944 in Cork, Ireland, to Irish Jewish parents, Claire Hurwitz, and Eric Asher Scher, a dentist of Lithuanian descent. After starting out as an actress, her father told her to get a proper job, so she became a journalist specialising in theatre with the Islington Gazette for five years, and reviewed for The Times Literary Supplement . [3] Her philosophy was based on promoting love, peace and understanding through both learning and professionalism.[ citation needed ]

Her heroes included Martin Luther King Jr., Anne Frank, Nelson Mandela, and Winston Churchill. [3] She frequently shared with her pupils various meaningful words or sayings which she called Winston words after Churchill, but which are not necessarily attributed to him.

Ubuntu is my favourite Winston word – it means community care, collectiveness. I love that word. It was Archbishop Desmond Tutu who taught it to me.

Scher married Raymond Charles Verrall, an English coach, writer and stage director, in Hampstead, London, in 1976. He was co-director of the Anna Scher Theatre for many years and co-authored several of Scher's books on acting. Their only child, John Benedict Verrall, was born in 1980. [4]

Scher was chairperson of the International Song Contest for Peace also in Ireland, and served on the juries at BAFTA, the Sony Awards and the Royal Television Society. As an actress, she appeared in The Battle of St. George Without (1969), You Must Be Joking! (1974), and Anna (2011). [4]

Since founding the school in 1968, Scher was awarded:

Anna Scher died on 12 November 2023, at the age of 78. Her husband had predeceased her by one month, dying in October 2023 at age 79. [4]

Theatre school

In 1968, Scher started an extracurricular performing arts school at Islington's Ecclesbourne Primary School. 70 pupils came the first week, including future Birds of a Feather stars Pauline Quirke (aged 9), Linda Robson (aged 10) and Ray Burdis (aged 11). [3] In 1970, the classes moved across the road to a council hall in Bentham Court on Ecclesbourne Road. By 1975 she had 1,000 pupils and 5,000 on the waiting list, [2] so moved to the custom converted mission hall on Barnsbury Road in 1976, when the performing arts school was established as an independent charity. [3]

Scher's teaching style produces what critics call a natural delivery, but Scher comments that she just uses their natural voice. Of her improvisation technique, she told Simon Hattenstone of The Guardian in 2004:

I fell into that quite by chance – necessity is nearly always the mother of invention, and because 70 turned up and because a lot weren't too hot at reading, improvisation fell into place. [3]

In 2000, Scher suffered ill health through depression and stepped down during her recovery period. [6]

In 2005, the remaining staff and board set up a new school [7] but Anna Scher went on to continue her theatre school under her own name at the nearby Blessed Sacrament Church Hall, Islington. [7] Since 2009, the Anna Scher Theatre has been teaching from the St Silas Church in Islington and classes are run twice a week. Anna Scher stepped down as a teacher in 2020, and since then classes have been run by former student, and actor, Dickon Tolson. [7] [8]

Alumni

Alumni include: Henry Paker, [9] Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson, Kathy Burke, Phil Daniels, James Alexandrou and Natalie Cassidy. [6] Other alumni from EastEnders include: Gary Hailes, Martin Kemp, Gillian Taylforth, Patsy Palmer, Sid Owen, Jake Wood, Susan Tully, Tilly Vosburgh, Brooke Kinsella and Tameka Empson. [8] Other alumni include: Adam Deacon, Zawe Ashton, Reggie Yates, and Daniel Kaluuya, Ricardo P Lloyd. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Friel</span> British actress

Anna Louise Friel is an English actress. She first achieved fame with her portrayal of Beth Jordache in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside (1993–1995), and came to international prominence when she played Charlotte "Chuck" Charles on ABC's Pushing Daisies (2007–2009), for which she received a nomination for the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. She won an International Emmy Award for her portrayal of the title character in the ITV/Netflix series Marcella (2016–2021). Her other accolades include a Drama Desk Award, an honorary degree, and a BAFTA nomination.

Katherine Lucy Bridget Burke is an English actress and comedian. She appeared in sketch shows such as French and Saunders (1988–1999), played a recurring role as Magda on the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (1992–2012), and performed frequent collaborations with fellow comedian Harry Enfield. From 1999 to 2001, she starred as Linda La Hughes on the BBC sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme, for which she received a British Comedy Award and two BAFTA nominations.

Brooke Kinsella is a British actress, author and anti-knife crime campaigner. A graduate of the Anna Scher Theatre School, Kinsella has been acting since childhood. She has had various roles on television and in film. Her most notable role is that of Kelly Taylor, who featured in BBC's long-running soap opera, EastEnders, between 2001 and 2004. She has her own drama school called True Stars Academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte Coleman</span> English actress (1968-2001)

Charlotte Ninon Coleman was an English actress best known for playing Scarlett in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral, Jess in the television drama Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, and her childhood roles of Sue in Worzel Gummidge and the character Marmalade Atkins.

Suzanna Hamilton is an English actress, notable for playing the role of Julia in the 1984 film adaptation of George Orwell's classic novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, as well as other film roles including Tess (1979), Brimstone and Treacle (1982), Wetherby (1985), and Out of Africa (1985). She has had numerous television roles such as the ITV drama Wish Me Luck (1988), the BBC medical drama Casualty (1993–94), and the STV drama McCallum (1995–97).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Dwan</span> Irish actress, director, and writer

Lisa Dwan is an Irish actress, director, and writer. She is best known for her work in theatre, performing in Samuel Beckett adaptations among other works. She began her career in the Fox Kids series Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog (1998–1999). More recently, she stars in the Netflix series Top Boy (2019–2023). She also appeared in the RTÉ soap opera Fair City (2006–2007) and the ITV drama Rock Rivals (2008).

Geraldine Margaret Agnew-Somerville is an Irish-British actress. She is known for her roles in the film Gosford Park (2001) and the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011). Her other roles have included Daphne (2007), My Week with Marilyn (2011) and Grace of Monaco (2014). In 1995, Somerville was nominated for a BAFTA Award for playing Jane Penhaligon in the television series Cracker.

Linda Patricia Mary Robson Dunford is an English actress and television presenter. She is best known for playing Tracey Stubbs in the sitcom Birds of a Feather and her appearances as a weekly panellist on the ITV series Loose Women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Carpenter</span> English educationist and social reformer

Mary Carpenter was an English educational and social reformer. The daughter of a Unitarian minister, she founded a ragged school and reformatories, bringing previously unavailable educational opportunities to poor children and young offenders in Bristol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts</span> School in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom

The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts is a performing arts conservatoire based in Woking, England. It was founded by the actress Italia Conti in 1911. Italia Conti is a member of the Federation of Drama Schools, and accredited by the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT).

Petra Letang is a British actress. She played Naomi Julien in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2005–2007) and Adele Effanga in Holby City (2014–2016).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Sue-Patt</span> British actor (1964–2015)

Terence Anthony Sue-Patt was a British actor, best known for playing Benny Green in the BBC series Grange Hill (1978–1982).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Wright</span> British film director

Joseph Wright is an English film director. His motion pictures include the literary adaptations Pride & Prejudice (2005), Atonement (2007), Anna Karenina (2012), and Cyrano (2021), the action thriller Hanna (2011), Peter Pan origin story Pan (2015), and Darkest Hour (2017), a political drama following Winston Churchill during World War II nominated for Best Picture.

The Minister's Cat is a Victorian parlour game. The game involves describing the eponymous cat using adjectives beginning with each letter of the alphabet.

Nwazuluwa Onuekwuke "Zulu" Sofola was the first published female Nigerian playwright and dramatist. Sofola was also a university teacher and became the first female Professor of Theater Arts in Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Şebnem Paker</span> Turkish guitarist, singer and educator

Şebnem Paker is a Turkish guitarist, singer and music teacher.

<i>Our Day Out</i> (musical)

Our Day Out is a musical with the book and music written by Willy Russell that premiered in 1983. It is an adaptation of the 1977 TV-movie Our Day Out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Duane</span> British teacher (1915–1997)

William Michael Duane was an Irish born, British teacher known for his progressive educational views, his belief in inclusivity and a multi-racial approach, his encouragement of informal relationships between staff and pupils and his opposition to corporal punishment. He was also the head of the controversial short-lived Risinghill School in Islington.

Anna Valerie Scher MBE was a British teacher known for her contributions to drama education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young Actors Theatre Islington</span> School in London, England

Young Actors Theatre Islington (YATI) is an independent and co-educational performing arts school based in the Islington district of London, England. The organisation also functions as a charity agency for children and young adults who wish to pursue a career in acting.

References

  1. ↑ Reynolds, Nigel; "Angry actors back ousted drama teacher", The Daily Telegraph, 27 December 2003. Accessed 14 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 Wynne-Jones, Ros; "School for working class heroes — and heroines" The Independent, 25 May 1997
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Hattenstone, Simon; "I just want to be back at my theatre" The Guardian, 24 March 2004
  4. 1 2 3 Sedghi, Amy (12 November 2023). "Tributes paid to 'wonderful' drama teacher Anna Scher, who has died at 78". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  5. ↑ "No. 60534". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2013. p. 22.
  6. 1 2 Dimitrova, Atina (9 August 2017). "Anna Scher: Legendary Islington theatre teacher (and one-time Gazette writer) looks back on half century of drama". islingtongazette.co.uk.
  7. 1 2 3 Austin, Jeremy (20 July 2004). "School removes Scher name". thestage.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011.
  8. 1 2 hattenstone, Simon (2 April 2018). "How Anna Scher's maverick acting school created so many working-class stars". theguardian.com.
  9. ↑ Paker, Henry (6 December 2023). "Assassination Episode, Three Bean Salad Podcast". Spotify. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "'We're so lucky to have met her': Anna Scher's former students on their lessons in drama and life | Acting | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 23 December 2023.

Literature

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.