Drama at Sixty

What's it all about?

Those responsible for its success

The success of any institution lies in the people who work and study within it, and what astonishing figures have been part of the life of the School of Drama. The interview panel for the post of Director included the wonderful playwright James Bridie , who represented the Citizens Theatre. 

The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow University, the Scottish Community Drama Association, Jordanhill College of Education, and the BBC were all major players in the early years of the School. James Bridie lived long enough to see his dream of a School of Drama in Scotland realized. Sadly, he passed away only four months later.

Colin Chandler , truly the father of the School of Drama, was appointed to the post of Director in 1950. He was OBE until 1973.  The Chandler Studio theatre here is named after Colin Chandler. Colin was present for the opening of the studio. He died 5 years later on 5 May 1993.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the then Patron of the Academy, formally opened the new building of the Academy in 1988. Later the RSAMD celebrated the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen Mother’s patronage with the award of the first Academy honorary doctorate.

In 2003, HRH Prince Charles the Prince of Wales (or the Duke of Rothesay as he is known in Scotland) graciously accepted the Academy's invitation to succeed his grandmother as Patron of the Academy, thereby maintaining the Academy's royal patronage for over half a century.

60 years later

Fast forward through six decades and we soon see that the RSAMD’s School of Drama continued to develop hugely successful actors such as David Tennant, James McAvoy, Daniela Nardini, Maureen Beattie, Colin Morgan, Phyllis Logan, Bill Paterson, Elaine C Smith, Alan Cumming, David Hayman, Ruby Wax, Robert Carlyle, Emma Fielding, John Hannah, Greg Wise ... the list is long and glittering.

Nowadays there is not an aspect of theatre that we don’t train artists for and the list of successful graduates make major impact all over the world in their fields of expertise.

RSAMD is proud to celebrate 60 years of our School of Drama. We wish the School the happiest and most successful of birthday years ahead and we invite you to join the party and spend a year viewing our work and celebrating with us!

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