Rose Bruford College

History

The Rose Bruford Training College of Speech and Drama was established in 1950 by teacher Rose Elizabeth Bruford, with the help of poet laureate John Masefield, Laurence Olivier, and Peggy Ashcroft, who formed part of the Board of Governors. Rose Bruford "pioneered the first acting degree in 1976."

Initially, classes were held in Lamorbey House, an 18th-century, Grade II listed manor house in the Lamorbey district of Sidcup. Sidcup is a suburb in the southeast of Greater London.

The campus has since been expanded; construction of several new buildings was completed in 2002. For some time, there was also a campus situated in Deptford, near Greenwich in South East London, which was closed when the college incorporated all of its courses on the Sidcup campus. Among these are four venues for student productions: the 300-seat theatre in the round Rose Theatre; the more intimate Barn Theatre; and two "black box" studio spaces. Third-year undergraduate students present their shows in off-campus London venues, such as the Unicorn Theatre and the Leicester Square Theatre..

Rose Bruford College was the filming location of the television drama Nearly Famous (2007).

Rose Bruford

Rose Elizabeth Bruford was born on 22 June 1904. She remembers herself acting while still a child, often directed by her brother Lionel. She was educated at Kilburn High School, and later at Bath High School—where on one occasion a verse recital was given by Elsie Fogerty, the founder and Principal of the Central School of Speech and Drama. Bruford resolved to study drama at the Central School. Her early months there were not particularly happy, but she grew to love and greatly admire Elsie Fogerty.

While still a student, Bruford took part in the Oxford Recitations of Spoken Verse, begun in 1923 by John Masefield. Here she met several poets, including W. H. Auden, Gordon Bottomley, Richard Church, Walter de la Mare, T. S. Eliot, Christopher Hassall, and John Drinkwater. W. B. Yeats encouraged her to speak some of his poems to the accompaniment of a small harp, and she made this part of her recitals. She graduated in 1928 with top honours for her verse-speaking. John Masefield became her champion and guide for the rest of her life.

After graduating from the Central School, Bruford followed her parents' wishes never to work in the theatre. Instead, she became a visiting teacher of speech and drama. Between 1925 and 1949 she taught regularly at 43 different schools. In 1941 she was appointed to the staff of the Royal Academy of Music where, starting with seven students, she built the drama course to 70 students. The Ministry of Education certified the course as a teacher-training programme. During this period, she spent three days per week at the Royal Academy of Music, and two teaching mime at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

In 1948 her first book, Speech and Drama, was published and was well-received. Meanwhile, she wanted better conditions and bigger premises for her course at the Royal Academy of Music, but some of her views conflicted with those of the principal. Bruford resigned; though she had little money, she began preparing to found her own school. The Kent Education Committee offered to rent her the mansion in Lamorbey Park for £5 per year. Bruford and other college staff established a training programme. Grants helped sustain the college in its early years, and it eventually became profitable.

Degree programmes and courses

The college currently offers courses in the following fields of performing arts training:

Undergraduate

Postgraduate

Online learning

Research degrees (validated by Goldsmiths, University of London)

Part-time, summer, and youth programmes

Student satisfaction

In 2014, The Stage reported that 91.6% of Rose Bruford students were from state schools. In the same year, Rose Bruford College scored an overall satisfaction rating of 90% in the National Student Survey.

Rose Bruford College rated 87% for overall student satisfaction in the 2013 National Student Survey. (The average score that year for all participating institutions was 85%.) Rose Bruford rated 86% in 2012, and 79% in 2011.

Commenting on the recent increase in satisfaction rating, principal Michael Earley said: "For many years, places like Rose Bruford, RADA and Guildhall have sold themselves as drama schools only. Now, with students paying full fees of £9,000, they really have to look at themselves as universities." He said this involved improving facilities and providing more academic teaching alongside vocational training, such as essay writing and critical thinking.

Research and community outreach

The college's research facilities and archives include: the Stanislavski Centre; the Clive Barker Library; and the David Bolland Collection, which is devoted to material about Kathakali. Members or former members of its faculty serve as editors and/or on the editorial boards of performing-arts journals like New Theatre Quarterly (Simon Trussler, co-editor) and Performance Prompt.

In partnership with the London V&A Theatre Collections Online, the College also sponsors and supports TheatreVoice, an Internet forum about theatre sound.

Its material relating to research, knowledge transfer, and community outreach is featured online in TheatreFutures.

Alumni

At the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards, 2011 graduates Dave Hearn (BA (Hons) Acting) and Rob Falconer (BA (Hons) Actor Musicianship) won Best Comedy for The Play That Goes Wrong. 2001 BA (Hons) Actor Musicianship graduate Rosalie Craig was the star of City of Angels, which won the award for Best Musical Revival. Also, 2003 BA (Hons) Actor Musician graduate Katie Brayben won Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Carole King in the critically acclaimed Beautiful at the Aldwych Theatre.

Among the college's alumni are actor Michele Austin, Lake Bell, Rosalie Craig, Richard Eyre, actor Iain McKee, and Sam Palladio.

Principal

Professor Michael Earley, the college's principal and chief executive, came to Rose Bruford College from the University of Lincoln. There he was professor of drama; head of the recently formed Lincoln School of Performing Arts; and producing director at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre.

Among his earlier offices are chief producer of plays for BBC Radio Drama; publishing director at Methuen Drama; and director of the Lila Acheson Wallace Playwriting Program at the Juilliard School.