BRIGHTON CLASSES
Beginners' Drama
Step into the world of theatre and let your creativity shine! In this lively course designed for complete beginners, you’ll play drama games, explore acting techniques, and bring characters and scripts to life.
Whether you want to build confidence, try something new, or simply have fun with like-minded people, this supportive group is the perfect place to start your drama journey. Great for devloping spontenaeity, team work, public speaking skills, voice, and presence.
All ages 18+ welcome. Early booking recommended to secure your spot!
For April- June, please check out our 'Mixed Level' 7 Techniques in 7 Weeks Course.
JUNE-JULY 2026
Dates: Wed 17th June-Wed 22nd July
Time: 6.30pm-8pm
Price: £95 for 6 weeks
Location: One Church, Gloucester Place
SEPT-DEC 2026
Dates: Wed 30th Sept-Wed 9th Dec
(No class Half Term Wed 28th Oct)
Time: 6.30pm-8pm
Price: £160 for 10 weeks
Location: One Church, Gloucester Place
Intermediate Drama
This course is for those who have already completed a course with us or who have previous drama experience elsewhere and want to learn more. All ages (18+) welcome. Early booking recommended.
Short Summer Course
This summer we'll be exploring one of the most exciting character types an actor can play...
VILLAINS.
After all, the bad guys are usually the most fun.
Over six weeks we'll explore:
• Iconic Disney villains
• Shakespeare's greatest baddies
• TV antiheroes and masterminds
• Horror villains and psychological monsters
• Crime bosses and gang leaders
• Creating your own original villain
We'll use scenes, improvisation, character exercises and performance work to discover what makes a truly memorable villain.
Whether you're drawn to wicked witches, cunning manipulators, ruthless criminals or misunderstood antiheroes, this course is a chance to step into the 'dark side' and have some fun.
JUNE-JULY 2026
Dates: Wed 17th June-
Wed 22nd July
Time: 8pm-9.30pm
Price: £95 for 6 weeks
Location: One Church, Gloucester Place
SEPT-DEC 2026 'WINTER SHOWCASE COURSE'
Dates: Wed 30th Sept-Wed 9th Dec
(No class Half Term Week Wed 28th Oct)
Time: 8pm-9.30pm
Price: £162.50 for 10 weeks
Location: One Church, Gloucester Place
Advanced Drama
OCT-DEC 2026 'WINTER SHOWCASE COURSE'
Perhaps the most challenging AND enjoyable of all our courses. Over 10 weeks you'll prepare a 15 minute group piece for performance in our yearly showcase featuring work from our Drama groups in Brighton, Worthing and Shoreham. Past performances have included a devised thriller set by a Scottish lake and a selection of scenes by contemporary playwrights.
Dates: Thursday 1st Oct-Wed 9th December*
Time: 7pm-9pm*
Price: £210 for 10 Weeks
Location: St Mary's Church Hall , Lavender Street (just off St. James Street), Kemp Town, BN2
* The last class takes place on a Wed as it's a performance. Please be aware you''ll be needed from approx 6pm for rehearsal on Wed 9th Dec
JUNE 2026 'SCREEN ACTING COURSE'
*The minimum requirement for this course is having completed at least one Intermediate level drama course with us, or somewhere else.
Step into the world of film and television with this practical, welcoming introduction to screen acting! Working with scenes from contemporary movies and TV shows, you’ll explore what makes a performance truly compelling on camera.
This course is designed to be accessible and supportive, whether you’re completely new to screen acting or looking to build confidence in front of the lens. You’ll develop key on-set skills such as hitting your mark, understanding shot types, and adjusting your performance for close-ups versus wider frames.
A core part of the process is watching your work back, giving you the chance to see exactly how subtle choices translate on screen and refine your technique in real time.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a stronger understanding of the technical and creative demands of screen acting, and the tools to deliver truthful, engaging performances with confidence.
DATES: Thurs 18th June-23rd July
TIME: 7pm-9pm
LOCATION: St. Mary's Church Hall Kemp Town (just off St. James St)
Price: £130 for 6 Weeks
SHOREHAM CLASSES
WEDNESDAY DRAMA SHOREHAM
Suitable for adults of all ages who would like to build confidence, meet new people and express their creativity in a fun and supportive setting.
Learn acting technique, dive into script, or create our own. Suitable for beginners. and people with some previous experience. All ages (18+) welcome. Early booking advised as this course often sells out.
2026 COURSES
Join a welcoming drama class where adults of all experience levels come together to develop skills, build confidence, and enjoy the creative process. Each weekly session blends acting techniques, voice work, movement training, improvisation, and script analysis in a relaxed, supportive atmosphere. Whether you’re new to drama or returning after time away, you’ll find a supportive community and an inspiring space to grow.
JUNE-JULY 2026 Intensive Fun 4 Week Short Course!
Dates: Wed 17th June-Wed 8th July
Time: 6.30pm-8pm
Price: £65 for 4 weeks
Location: Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea
SEPT-DEC 2026 'WINTER SHOWCASE COURSE'
Develop a 15 Minute group piece to be performed in a showcase open to friends and family! Our Winter Show Case will feature performances from our Brighton, Shoreham and Worthing groups.
Dates: Wed 30th Sept-Wed 9th Dec
(No class Half Term Week Wed 28th Oct)
Time: 6.30-8pm*
Price: £162.50 for 10 weeks
Location: Ropetackle Arts Centre*
*Please note the final class of the term will be the Winter Show Case and will take place in a Brigton/Hove location TBC
You will be needed from approx 6pm on Wed 9th December for dress and technical rehearsal
WORTHING CLASSES
MIXED LEVEL DRAMA
Join our fun mixed level Drama course for Adults in Worthing and bring out your inner actor!
This course is suitable for adults of all ages who would like to build confidence, meet new people, and express themselves in a fun and supportive setting. Maybe you’ve always wanted to try acting. Maybe you've done some performance or drama courses already and you want to develop your skills. Maybe you’d like to increase your spontaneity. Or maybe you’d like to get better at speaking in front of other people. People take our courses for various reasons and enjoy the weekly dose of play and connection drama.
This summer in Worthing, we'll be looking at. . . TELEVISION. Explore scenes and characters from various different genres of T.V. shows. Comedy to Thriller to Drama.
And for a couple of weeks, you can try Screen Acting in class, too, with performances filmed and the opportunity to watch back and learn.
TIME & VENUE:
6 week courses starting Tues JUNE 16th
Choose from 6.30pm-8pm Class
OR
Tuesdays 8pm-9.30pm Class
@ Heene Community Centre, 122 Heene Rd, Worthing BN11 4PL
Drama Class FAQs Terms & Conditions & Testimonials
Q: Do you do trial classes or drop in classes?
A: We don’t currently offer trial classes. This is because group dynamics and connection are essential to the course experience. Drama is a collaborative art, and the work builds week by week as the group develops trust, ensemble skills, and a shared sense of play. Students coming and going can disrupt this process and affect everyone’s experience.
We understand that trying drama for the first time can feel nerve-wracking, so we create a very safe, supportive environment. You’ll be welcomed, guided, and encouraged from your first session, helping you feel at ease and ready to enjoy the class.
Q: I've never done drama before, am I too inexperienced to take a class with Savage Heart?
A: Not at all! We welcome complete beginners. Just make sure you book our Beginners Course!
Q: Who teaches the classes?
A: Joy Forsythe teaches our Shoreham courses. Joy is a professional theatre director who has directed several shows for Savage Heart. Joy ran weekly classes and staged 100+ productions over several years with her company the Irish Academy of Dramatic Arts, in Dublin. She has extensive experience as a freelance drama facilitator, running performance courses and workshops for Oxbridge Academic Programs, OXONDrama, and Theatre Royal Brighton. She has an MA in Theatre Making from The Gaiety School of Acting, Dublin and Maynooth University.
Rachel Mae Brady teaches our Brighton courses. She has a BA in Drama in Performance from Dublin Conservatory of Music and Drama and Columbia College Chicago. Rachel is a professional theatre director, producer, playwright and was a professional actor for 10+ years. She has directed and produced several shows for Savage Heart and worked on countless theatre projects as a freelancer. As a playwright she has completed residencies with Theatre 503 and Oxford Playhouse as well as writing several shows for Savage Heart. Before moving to Brighton, Rachel ran weekly adult drama courses with her school OXONDrama in Oxford from 2015-2021. As a freelance facilitator she has taught performance workshops and courses for Cherwell Theatre Company, Creation Theatre Company, the Mill Theatre, Banbury, EF Language schools, Oxbridge Academic Programs, Oxford Royale Academy, and boomsatsuma. As an actor she appeared in theatre, film and TV projects including Vikings, The Tudors, Camelot and The Perfect Christmas Village.
Ben Grafton teaches our Worthing Classes. Ben is a theatre maker with an MA in Actor Training and Coaching from Central School of Speech and Drama. He has taught acting at various UK drama schools including Trinity Laban, Italia Conti and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and has led devising projects at Lamda. Ben also specialises in physical comedy and clowning and how this can inform traditional acting approaches.
Q: Do you do performances?
A: Yes. Once as year as part of our Winter Showcase Courses in Brighton, Shoreham and Worthing.
Q: Are their opportunities for students to get involved in Savage Heart's professional productions?
A: Occasionally students from our drama classes can get involved in our professional productions. Students have taken part in Dark Bites and Brighton 24 Hour Play Festival. This is usually by audition and joining our drama classes does not guarantee you'll appear in our professional shows. If you want to perform with us, we do one big performance a year with our Winter Showcase Course and friends and family are welcome to attend this.
Q:I really want to take a drama class but I'm terrified! Is drama right for me?
A: YES! This is one of the most common questions people ask us. It's normal to be nervous before your first drama class. We understand that for many people who come along, showing up for the first class is the hardest part. We have years of experience creating safe, supportive spaces where you can build your confidence and express your creativity. You may feel a bit nervous for the first few minutes but we assure you, the first few classes are all about working as a group so you won't have lots of focus on you. Students often tell us that after the first few minutes of the first class, they forgot about their nerves and enjoyed having fun with the group.
Q: Is drama good for confidence building?
A: Drama is one of the best activities you can do to build your confidence. At least 50% of our students come to drama class to build confidence. Many of our students benefit from acting technique in their day-to-day lives, including feeling more at ease in social situations and more self assured at work.
Q: What should I expect from my first drama class?
A: Lots of low pressure games and exercises to get to know one another, build group trust and break down inhibitions. Easy movement, storytelling and character exercises in groups to learn about stage craft and some low pressure 'show and tell' in small groups.
Testimonials
'I enjoyed every aspect of the classes. Joy was an excellent teacher and put everyone at ease very quickly. The games to get to know each other and to put people at ease were really good fun and definitely did the trick. It was amazing how relaxed the atmosphere was to enable everyone to take on roles/improvise so freely. The idea of this was daunting to start with but really wasn't so daunting in practice.' Rachel - Beginners' Drama Student
'Do more classes please! I don’t know what to do with myself on a Thursday now and turns out I need this as a creative outlet!' Amy - Beginners' Drama Student
'It has been really helpful for my mental health and fun/enjoyable.
I really enjoyed the scripted scenes and having to interact/be in the moment with others. Plus the framework of the classes moved at a really good pace.' Simon - Intermediate Drama Student
'I had fun, I received a lot of support and constructive feedback. I felt valued, I felt challenged in the best way possible. I always left the class feeling like I had discovered something really insightful and I felt good and hopeful. It's something that I almost never experienced before with previous acting classes/training.' Lorraine - Intermediate Drama Student
Drama Course
Terms & Conditions
REFUNDS
Once you book a course with us, we can offer a refund with the minimum notice of two weeks before the course starts. This is so we can resell the place. Please note refunds can take 5-7 business days to be processed by our website provider.
DEFERRING YOUR PLACE
If for some reason you book the course and then become unavailable, it is sometimes possible to defer your place to next term. This is on a case-by-case basis and we will charge a small admin fee for this. If you have already attended classes in the course you booked onto, this will not be possible. We will not defer a student's place more than once.
MOVING COURSE
If you decide you would like to move to another level mid-course, this can be discussed with your facilitator on a case by case basis. There may be an admin fee for this.
SAFE SPACE
Our courses and work shops are safe spaces. Any hate speech, bullying or threatening behavior will not be tolerated. We reserve the right to remove anyone from the class who behaves in a way that makes other students or our facilitators feel unsafe, or intimidated.