The Anna Scher Theatre is an independent and co-educational performing arts school based in

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...

, 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.

Anna Scher

Anna Valerie Scher, , 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''. Scher's philosophy is based on promoting love, peace and understanding through both learning and professionalism. Her heroes are Martin Luther King Jr., Anne Frank,

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

and

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

. She frequently shares with her pupils various meaningful words or sayings which she calls Winston words after Churchill, but which are not necessarily attributed to him. In the past, 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 The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

. As an actress, she appeared in ''The Battle of St. George Without'' (1969), ''You Must Be Joking!'' (1974) and ''Anna'' (2011). Scher is married to Charles Verrall, an acting and public speaking coach who has also written and directed several stage plays and a musical. He was co-director of the Anna Scher Theatre for many years, and co-authored several of Scher's books on acting. They have one son. Since founding the school in 1968, Scher has been awarded: *Community award from the ''Irish Post'' *Woman of Distinction Award from Jewish Care *Peace Person of the Year Award, Ireland, 1999 *Associate of RADA *Honorary Fellow of the

Leinster School of Music & Drama The Leinster School of Music & Drama, in Dublin, Ireland, provides tuition and examinations in music and drama throughout Ireland. ''"She beckoned to him with her finger like one preparing a certificate in pianoforte...at the Leinster School o ...

*Patron of Neve Shalom/Wahat al Salam – Oasis of Peace. *Freedom of the London Borough of Islington, March 2003. * Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), 2013, appointed in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to Drama.

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 ''Birds of a Feather'' is a British sitcom originally broadcast on BBC One from 16 October 1989 to 24 December 1998, then revived on ITV from 2 January 2014 to 24 December 2020. The series stars Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson, with Lesley Jos ...

'' stars Pauline Quirke (aged 9), Linda Robson (aged 10) and Ray Burdis (aged 11). 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,Wynne-Jones, Ros
"School for working class heroes — and heroines"
''The Independent'', 25 May 1997 so moved to the custom converted mission hall on Barnsbury Road in 1976, when the performing arts school was established as an independent charity.Hattenstone, Simon
"I just want to be back at my theatre"
''The Guardian'', 24 March 2004 Scher's teaching style produces what critics call a natural delivery, but Scher comments that she just uses their natural voice. Of her

improvisation Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

technique, she told Simon Hattenstone of '' The Guardian'' in 2004: In 2000, Scher suffered ill health and stepped down during her recovery period."Bid to build Anna a new theatre"
''IslingtonGazette.co.uk'', 8 June 2005 Scher was never reinstated as head of the theatre, despite a vociferous campaign led by her and her supporters, The Friends of Anna Scher.Reynolds, Nigel

''The Daily Telegraph'', 27 December 2003Austin, Jeremy
"School removes Scher name"
''The Stage'', 20 July 2004 In 2005, the remaining staff and board set up a new schoolAustin, Jeremy
School removes Scher name
The Stage, July 2004 but Anna Scher went on to continue her theatre school under her own name at the nearby Blessed Sacrament Church Hall, Islington. Since 2009, the Anna Scher Theatre has been teaching from the St Silas Church in Islington and classes are run 3 days a week by Anna Scher and former pupil Bernie Burdis, who together have taught for over 30 years.

Alumni

The school has trained many actors who went on to star in the soap opera ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'', including Martin Kemp, Gillian Taylforth, Patsy Palmer, Sid Owen, Natalie Cassidy, Jake Wood, Susan Tully,

Tilly Vosburgh Matilda Vosburgh (born 17 December 1960) is a British character actress. Early life Born in the Westminster district of London, Vosburgh is the daughter of comedy writer and lyricist Dick Vosburgh and former actress Beryl Vosburgh (née Roques ...

and Brooke Kinsella. Scher also trained Oscar-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya, and he thanked her in his BAFTA award winning speech.

References

Literature

* Anna Scher (1988), ''Desperate to Act'', Collins, . * Anna Scher & Charles Verrall (1975),''100+ Ideas for Drama'', Heinemann Educational, . * Anna Scher & Charles Verrall (1976), ''First Act: Drama Kit'', Ward Lock Educational, . * Anna Scher & Charles Verrall (1987), ''Another 100+ Ideas for Drama'', Heinemann Educational, . * Anna Scher & Charles Verrall (1992), ''200+ Ideas for Drama'', Heinemann Educational, .

External links

* {{IMDb name, 3012318, Anna Scher
Official website for the Anna Scher Theatre Drama classes

Official Agency website for the Anna Scher Theatre and Anna Scher
Drama schools in London Education in the London Borough of Islington Youth theatre companies Performing groups established in 1968