The Actors' Lab Ltd Reviews 22

I’ve been taking classes at The Actors’ Lab for 3 years and I love it.
The tutors are all very experienced and knowledgeable because they are actively working in the profession. It was really important to me to learn from actors/directors who are professionals, rather than B Tech drama teachers.( no offence to drama teachers but I wanted professionals.)
There is always a friendly atmosphere in class.
There is no contract to tie you in, just a month by month payment.
There is also genuine pastoral care here, I feel I can go to any of the tutors with any questions about my career, always happy to help.
Classes are well planned and I love the care and attention each individual receives.
I was thrilled to perform at The Lowry Theatre in the AL Showcase, a great experience and some influential Casting Directors and Agents came to see both performances.
Can’t recommend The Actors’ Lab enough.

Attended here for a while and didn't feel I got anything out of it apart from a loss in money. I think if you are in your 20's it may be good but most of it is all games and improvisation. Would have been nice to focus more on the use of scripts.

Where it really lets itself down and is a warning to new members is that when you join you are given a choice of a month by month direct debit or you can pay for a term upfront. I paid for a term up front and had no idea that I was tied in. After I said I wasn't planning on attending anymore they invoiced me for another term and said I would have had to give 30 days notice before the last term ended. I think this is horrific! In the end, they let me out of the contract by paying around £100.

I felt the whole process of the Actors Lab is to make money rather than help people get into acting. There are always upsells for extra classes and I really can't believe they charge for people participating at the end of the year showcase. They advertise it as people get invited to showcase their talents to casting directors but in reality, anyone who is willing to pay can attend.

Clean up your act, make it clear about being tied in even if you pay upfront and make the end of year showcase free.

The Actors Lab is an amazing place for your children to learn key skills and have fun at the same time. The teachers are professional and very friendly and do a fantastic job of building confidence in children , my 8 year old loves being taught by them all. All round great experience for children, once they try it they’ll love it.

I really can’t speak highly enough of The Actors Lab. All of the tutors their have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Sue Jenkins in particular has been an incredible tutor for me, she has taught me many techniques and directed me on a number of occasions in various plays. Sue directed my first play as a playwright “From heaven to Hell” which was nominated for best drama at the GM Fringe Awards and had a string of 4 and 5 star reviews. Sue has also helped me achieve my Shakespeare awards at RADA. Most of what I’ve learnt as an actor is due to her thorough commitment and passion.

This school is a must for anyone who wants to pursue acting, whether it be professional or as a hobby.

I’ve been with The Actors’ Lab for two years now and I love it. The tutors are all really knowledgeable and there’s a friendly atmosphere in class. The girls in the office are helpful and pleasant to speak to. I noticed a review below mentioned the 12 week contract, having been to other acting schools in the area I actually prefer this as there is more consistency with who you’re working with rather than people dropping in every week. I’ve been doing some excellent Online classes with Sue and David whilst we’ve been in lockdown and I’m looking forward to getting back soon!

I have been to a few acting schools in Manchester but The Actors Lab is by far the best in my opinion. The classes are well structured, taking you from the start to the end and actually train you on how to be an actor. Unlike most schools in Manchester, the actors lab trains you to be ready for a showcase at the Lowry theatre, giving you the opportunity to perform in front of industry professionals. Your network within the industry grows very quickly using the actors lab. The tutors and the people who run it are so professional and are genuinely there to focus on what you want to achieve by attending their school. If you cannot make a class they will re schedule it free of charge. Ive have even seen students who have had personal difficulties who couldnt make classes and staff from the actors lab checked in on them to see if they are ok. Not from a money point of view but they really do care about the welfare of their students.

Now this is why I Joined...unlike most schools who are being taught by tutors who have a degree and a professional qualification but very little credits and experience. The actors lab tutors have 20 years plus of theatre, television and musical knowledge and each tutor is currently working or has worked to a high level. You really do learn a lot from their experience and it isn't a condensed degree without the qualifications.

Money wise....I have no complaints. You pay for the term up front but you get to choose when you use your credit and when you dont. You can do a class in Manchester then another in Chester if you like. It's in your control.

Value for money....put it this way. You want an actual career in acting. To get on spotlight you need credits. To get credits you need to perform professionally. The actors lab is one of the only schools in the north west where you can obtain credits and friends of mine have quit their full time jobs, joined the actors lab, got 5 credits through them and their network and now work as professional actors....not many (if any) acting schools can genuinely say that.

If you are serious about a career in acting, then the actors lab is defintely for you!

Since joining The Actor's Lab in January 2020, I have to say that that I have been less than impressed with what’s on offer. For the last twelve weeks the lessons have mainly consisted of doing warm-up and vocal exercises for an hour and a half (standard stuff you can find on youtube), then in the last half hour the whole class gets to run through a monologue they have learned. At most, you get five or so minutes to run through your monologue a couple of times. In fairness to them, this is how most acting schools operate, teaching the clueless how to breathe and be aware of what their body is doing, but if you need 12 weeks of acting classes to learn that, then you probably shouldn’t go into acting.

For many people, like myself, who want to get into acting, the biggest hurdle in becoming an actor is performing in front of people, learning how to simply 'get over yourself' and deal with the pressure of performance. I thought that after three months at this school I would have made some kind of progress on this, but I have found myself pretty much in the same situation as when I first started. If you want to perform with others, then you are probably better off joining an Amateur Dramatics group.

Also, another reason why my experience with The Actor’s Lab has been so negative, is half way through March they decided to cancel classes due to Coronavirus. I understand that this was unavoidable, but then they insisted on payment for the final month, even though there were no classes scheduled. They have since rescheduled the classes but have decided to completely drop the location where I was taking the classes, with no consultation. I asked if they would be willing to refund the classes that they wouldn’t be providing, but they refused, so I decided to cancel my direct debit. I explained my situation to them, but their response was very disappointing. They simply stated that I was contracted to pay the outstanding balance. I tried to explain to them I had no interest in taking the classes in Manchester, as it was not convenient for me to travel that far, and that it didn’t make much sense in paying for lessons that I would never receive, they simply stated that they have the right to change location and they would pursue payment through a collectors agency if I did not complete the payments.
Here is a section of the email I received from them...

"Please note, we do reserve the right to charge late fees for any delay in payment…. Failure to make payment may result in us passing this on to our third party debt collector agency and in this case there may be additional fees and charges that would be accrued." - [The Actors Lab - 2020]

So to put it bluntly, they canceled the school I was attending, and refused to refund the difference for the classes I have paid for and have not received. This school will take your money for classes and then cancel them without informing you. I have been conned out of the best part of a hundred pounds!

So, there you go. If you want bog standard acting lessons with very little content, to have lessons canceled without informing you, and then a threat of legal action when you ask for a refund on lessons they aren’t willing to provide, then sign up to The Actor's Lab. A school that’s more interested in your money than providing you with well structured lessons.

Go join an Improv Class or an Am-Dram group, you’ll get a better education than you will at The Actor’s Lab, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper!

*Just to add, a day after submitting my own review, I can see that three new '5 star reviews' appeared magically overnight. Somewhat suspicious when you can see that the last review submitted was dated 2017. Dare I suggest that the powers that be at The Actors Lab have simply added a bunch of their own reviews to boost their rating from 'poor' to 'great'? One review in particular reads like a blatant advertisment for The Actors Lab. Very suspicious indeed!

Having joined a few different Drama Schools in the North West and not been overly impressed, I decided to audition for The Actors' Lab.
My experience, which started from the first complimentary Open Day Workshop has been brilliant. My passion for Performance has been renewed. The classes are always varied and I really enjoy working with Industry professionals for every session.
There is a great camaraderie in the classes and I look forward to every one.
It's become part of my social life too because everyone is so friendly.
(I can only assume the couple of negative reviews have come from people who auditioned and didn't get accepted! )
The office is open every weekday with an out of office hours number so you can always ring in and ask for advice, which is freely given. I have found everyone who answers the phone always willing to help and advise.
I've been a member for over two years now, which, I think, speaks volumes. 👌

The Actors' Lab could be, and should be one of the best acting schools in the North West, but the problem is, is that it's money driven...

It seems the driving force is to make as much money as possible, rather than providing aspring actors with the launch pad, that the Actors' Lab promote.

It seems very little money is ever put back in to the business, so it would be interesting to know where all the excessive 'fees' go...

It is a shame they can't seem to look past the ££££'s, as there really are some great tutors with some invaluable advice about the industry, but it's overshadowed by 'what expense is next...?'.

The Actors' Lab is excellent on every level.
Always taught by Industry professionals.
Real pastoral care and attention at the core.
Genuine respect for the craft.
Theatre Technique. TV technique. Voice work. All practitioners covered. Comprehensive and exciting training.
Professional Showcase.
The best in the North West.
Highly recommend.

Hi

Please avoid this company, Quite unprofessional, over priced (around £34 a class) , all about taking your money and classes are poorly designed or thought trough. There is no sense of time management and favoritism runs riot. Some students will get 5 minutes of workshop time , whilst others that are ‘favorites’ (usually the louder students) will get 20 minutes or more.

Most of the classes consist of ‘tutors’ talking about their personal life , playing silly games like catch or tig, topics that have nothing to do with acting and talking about acting and how ‘to act’. Lots and lots of talk about what acting means etc..material, that can simply be read online for free in 10 minutes.
When we were in class many tutors would teach for 2 weeks and then go on holiday or just leave and then the remainder of the weeks were filled by random tutors who had no idea what the previous tutor had planned or was talking about. So, they would simply talk about acting or say ‘lets play tig ‘ and disguise it as an improv exercise,. Classes were cancelled often.

The classes are far too big to really get any usefulness out of them. Sometimes up to 25 people and students end up getting 5 minutes of unprofessional quick ‘play acting’.

Be warned, the company is more about money, not about growing your passion for performing. They tie you into a 6 week to 3 month contract when signing up, similar to gyms, so that you cannot leave without a 6 weeks to 3 month notice.

Most of the students in the class were simply people who were not really interested in the art of performance, but wanted to ‘be famous like xfactor people’ or ‘make loads of money’. The audition was unprofessional and simply there to put ‘bums on seats’. This audition was nonsense .Large parts of it made no sense atall, so, they were not looking for genuine talent, as nearly everyone got through!

The redeeming facts are that they do a showcase that you may be asked to participate in and a handful of the tutors were useful in what they taught.

Thanks

The classes at Actors Lab are run by professional actors and casting agents. This means I have recieved invaluable skills, tips and insight into the industry. I feel more prepared for auditions, even more passionate about acting and more confident.

Expert tutition and coaching in a relaxed environment covering all the various aspects of the business. It also provides you with a insight of how things work in the real world - with appropriate advice from successful professionals.

Working with the same great group of people every week builds a great team working environment where we all feel free to experiment.

Suggestions for the future:
Every student starts with a foundation course in the basics of voice production, articulation and breathing. All these are essential for any actor whether they wish to work in theatre or television.

A class for the students who wish to pursue their craft to a higher level.

I joined the Actor's lab nearly two years ago and I have loved every second of it. The Actor's Lab provides its students with experience and knowledge in all sectors of the industry through a variety of workshops and tutorials. The tutors that the Actor's Lab brings in to teach its students are all accomplished in what they do and their insight is invaluable. The Actor's Lab is a credit to David Fleeshman and Sue Jenkins and I am very much looking forward to what 2015 brings.

I've been coming to Actors Lab for a year now to develop more acting skills. I have a very busy full time job that's does not allow me the luxury of full time acting education. So for me Actors Lab is ideal.
They have created an environment that promotes learning through appropriately sized classes with a wide range of teachers from different fields within the industry. Students are allowed to be creative in a safe environment with tutors who have valuable real life acting experience.
I have developed greatly as an actor during my time here and have skills now to better equip me in finding paid acting work.
I can whole heartedly recommend The Actors Lab to anyone wanting to pursue this as a career .

An excellent company to work with to develop and improve your acting skills regardless of past experiences or training. Have thoroughly enjoyed working with all the tutors, who are all industry professionals with a wealth of experience and are happy to share it.

Very happy with the experience and tuition I'm gaining from the classes with tutors making challenging, interesting whilst keeping it enjoyable

My daughter, Daisy 12, has been attending the Actor's Lab for a month so our review is limited. She has been really enjoying it. Her teachers Rachel and Dan always very welcoming..Daisy enjoys both disciplines. Her fellow students have made feel part of the group very quickly. She looks forward to attending every week.

Since joining the Actors Lab in 2013, I have found the Actors Lab Management team always there to offer advice and encouragement from there wealth of industry knowledge. The classes I attend are taken by tutors working in the industry, passing on skills from camera techniques, script analysis, theatre, and acting methods. And performing at the Lowry,under the direction of Sue Jenkins an experience not to be missed.