Acting – an Introduction (Stage 1)

Ages: 18+
Term: Autumn, spring
Length: 10 weeks

Overview

This practical 10-week course will provide you with the fundamental knowledge and skills and give you the confidence to act as a believable character in any medium.

To book your place today, simply click the 'Book Now' button to be taken to AUB's secure online store, where you can complete your booking. You can also sign up to our newsletter for short course updates.

About this course

Whether you’re a complete beginner to acting or an enthusiastic amateur, this 10-week series of practical workshops will provide you with the fundamental knowledge, skills, and confidence to act as a believable character in any medium.

This introductory course will encourage you to learn from your peers and tutor while introducing you to key theoretical and practical aspects of acting. You'll to explore your capabilities and realise your potential in a friendly and supportive environment.

You'll be guided through different acting techniques that are used in theatre, television and film and also receive advice on the realities of being a working actor and how the industry works.

Throughout the course, you'll be introduced to a variety of physical techniques to help build your confidence and express yourself freely – these are essential skills to shape instinctual and playful actors who are able to be completely ‘in the moment’ during performance.

You'll work on monologues and group scenes that'll allow you to put you newly learned skills into practice and develop yourself as a performer for future theatre or acting projects.

The psychology and emotional life of everyday characters by using skills you may already possess but may not consciously put into practice 
The essential preparation techniques to ‘be’ a character not ‘act’ a character 
The fundamental elements in character development and the essential information required in credible acting 
How the industry works including acting, casting, scriptwriting, directing and producing 
Practice your skills through a variety of monologues and scenes

At the end of the course you'll:

Possess the knowledge to be able to create a believable character.
Be able to confidently apply your newfound acting knowledge to any acting medium.
Possess an enhanced perspective of what an actor is required to do to be believable.
Have developed confidence, empathy and understanding of human behaviour.
Possess a basic acting vocabulary and will feel confident putting your skills into practice.
Have increased confidence in your own skills and feel inspired.
Have boosted creativity and imagination.
Possess the foundations to continue creating beyond this course.
You can request a certificate to confirm your achievements, providing you've a 100% attendance record. To request a certificate please get in touch with us at academy@aub.ac.uk and confirm your name and the title of course you've completed.

Will I be assessed?

No, there's no formal assessment. As the course progresses your tutor will measure your overall performance and offer essential guidance and feedback, so you know how you're getting on.

Meet your tutor

Alice Flynn

Alice Flynn is a highly multi-talented creative artist and educator whose talents include playwriting, theatre making...

Charmaine K

Charmaine is the tutor for Acting for beginners and Acting and creative theatre short courses.

What you need to know

Autumn term 2025

Tuesday 7 October – 9 December 2025 (10 Tuesday evenings, 18.00-21.00)

Spring term 2026

Tuesday 13 January – 17 March 2026 (10 Tuesday evenings, 18.00-21.00)

Age

Suitable for adults aged 18+.

Level

Beginners or anyone with some experience who want to refresh or develop their skills further.

Experience or qualifications required

None – this is an introductory course. We have no formal academic entry requirements for our short courses.

If you'd like to discuss if this course is suitable for you, get in touch with us: academy@aub.ac.uk or 01202 363222.

£359

Any additional costs

You'll need to provide some basic materials for this course and come prepared for movement. This'll incur an additional cost if you don’t already own something suitable. See the 'What to bring to class' section below.

Additional materials and resources will be provided by AUB and is included in your course fee.

Notebook and pens/pencils to take notes
Rubber
Wear comfortable, practical clothing and footwear

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Suggested Suppliers

Information about resourcing specialist materials/consumables that you may need to bring these with you

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AUB Academy FAQs – Evening and Weekend and Saturday Art School

If you have any questions about our Evening and Saturday Short Courses, you may find the answers in here.

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AUB Academy booking T&Cs

Please read our Terms and Conditions carefully before booking onto our Evening and Weekend courses.

Book your place today

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Acting gallery

Three people stood arguing in a road; a fourth person stands in the background and watches with their arms crossed.

Two actors reading from scripts in the middle of a rehearsal.

Acting students standing and smiling, one is reading from a script.

Actor in costume as Long John Silver walks centre stage surrounded by other cast members, also in costume as pirates, sitting around barrels and on steps.

Three people rehearsing a play from a script.

A person holding a clapper board. There are trees and another person wearing a face mask in the background.

A person sitting in a wheelchair. Another person stands in front of them and gestures towards them.

Acting student in a production of Little Revolution

Beyond the course

This could just be the start of your creative journey! After this course, you could further your acting skills with our advanced stage 2 course or look to the future and explore our creative qualifications that can prepare you to further your current career, enable you to retrain to an alternative career path or prepare you for future creative arts studies.