Lakeside Theatre is home to world renowned stage and screen conservatoire, East 15 Acting School.
Founded by Margaret Bury in 1961 and inspired by Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop, the teaching methods and philosophies of the Theatre Workshop remain the guiding principles of East 15’s work today.
In 2000, East 15 established its partnership with the University of Essex. Now offering courses in acting, producing directing, stage management, motion capture and specialist skills including fight performance, aerial circus, community engagement and global theatre practice, taught across two campuses, one in Loughton and one in Colchester, East 15 is ranked the No. 1 drama school in the UK (Guardian, 2026).
Recent notable alumni from the school include Corinna Brown (Heart Stopper), Joel Smith-Bynoe ( Stath Lets Flats; Ghosts), Daisy Franks (Olivier Award Winner for Life of Pi), Charlie Josephine (writer of I, Joan at Shakespeare’s Globe), Lily Newmark (Sex Education; Solo: A Star Wars Story), John Leader (Old Vic’s A Monster Calls; Warhorse; The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe), Elizabeth Henstridge (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) and Daniel Ezra (All American).
With 16 courses from foundation level to PhD, East 15 offers radical training that innovates with the times and reflects industry demands. Our Colchester campus is home to the BA Acting and Fight Performance, BA Acting and Physical Theatre, BA Creative Producing, BA Acting and Community Engagement, BA World Performance, MA/MFA Acting for Digital Media, and Cert HE Acting for Stage and Screen courses.
