All you can become

Alma Studios. Training for stage and screen in Godalming, Guildford and the wider Surrey area.

Alma Studios, once known as Angels Theatre School, was established by Tracey Linegar who has been teaching drama in the Godalming area since 1994. She was a Groucho Club Maverick Award Finalist in 2013 for her work as an artistic director. Previous recipients include Danny Boyle. The school has a glowing alumni that includes actors, writers and directors, plus a whole raft of successful professionals, such as lawyers, journalists, medics and teachers, all of whom cite their drama training as fundamental to their career achievements. Tracey’s approach is rooted in classical acting and the needs of each individual. Her aim is to create professional people who succeed in any walk of life. Should they choose the stage or screen, she is clear that her students are not limited to just one string to their bow. They must be exposed to acting, writing, directing and producing. Children are welcome from 4 years and up, while teenagers and adults represent the bulk of our student body. Tracey is an expert LAMDA teacher whose average mark is Distinction, in all the disciplines that LAMDA offer, from grades Entry to Gold.

If you or your child have an interest in acting or training for stage and screen in the Godalming, Guildford and wider Surrey area call 01483 860972 or email tracey@wordpress-191066-567111.cloudwaysapps.com.

Trace graduated from St Catherine’s Drama Studio in Guildford in 1987 with a Diploma including special recognition for Acting, Directing and Theatre in Education.

For the next seven years Tracey worked as an actress, predominantly on stage and was known for her work both as a musical comedienne and for the writing of musical reviews.

During this period she also developed an abiding love for mentorship and teaching. The desire to devote more time to this, to her young family, to writing and to seek out opportunities to explore classical direction brought her back to Godalming, to launch her first venture into full time teaching. With a colleague, she established the first part-time theatre school in the town. In the midst of this, her first directorial opportunity arrived when she was invited by Louise Clare to direct her debut play, Peaches and Cream, for the Black Cat Theatre Company.

In 2000 Tracey established her own theatre school, Angels Theatre School, through which over fifteen years, she produced 38 separate shows and productions, most of which were written and directed by her, with support and assistance from a wide range of talented colleagues and associates. As well as teaching classes of up to 32 students aged from 4 to adult on a weekly basis, she has coached individuals for LAMDA exams, from Entry grade to Gold medals in Acting, Speaking of Verse  Prose, Mime, Devised Performance, Reading for Performance and Musical Theatre for the Actor. Her students achieve astonishing results; Merits and Distinctions are the norm, with Gold medals regularly awarded marks in the high 90s. LAMDA paid her the compliment of inviting two of her Mime medal students to appear in training videos for examiners to demonstrate excellence in the discipline. Tracey is also proud to have enabled many of her students to obtain scholarship places offered for Drama at schools such as Farlington, Prior’s Field, Frensham Heights and Hurtwood House.

Tracey is also, on a voluntary basis, the Artistic Director of Squeaky Door Production Company, a registered charity established to support young performers and bring low cost theatre to her local community. It was in recognition of this work that she received her Maverick Award nomination for her part in creating, organising and facilitating a 30 strong company of actors and crew to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe for two consecutive years. Layout 1Their production of The Tempest received glowing reviews, including one from Julian Sands, who said of it:


“Squeaky Door’s Tempest is ravishing, rich and original. The company of young actors pack it with energy, spectacle, intelligence and wit in this hilarious and savage production.”

Tracey’s latest project with Squeaky Door is the one woman show, Conversations with Barbara, an autobiographical bitter-sweet comedy, written with the assistance of her co-writer Marcus Belassie and directed by her, which performed to enthusiastic audiences at the Guildford Fringe and received the following review:

One-woman show a hit with festival crowd.

A STANDOUT performance at the Star Inn last night captivated the audience in a bittersweet comedy about an out-of-work actress…

when the sadness crept in, inevitable in a relationship with someone much older, it was clearly felt by those watching.

…the production’s strength was in its drama, which left you wanting to know more, rather than less, about its characters. — Andre Langlois, Surrey Advertiser

A5.CwB.Flyer.Fringe3.a-w1After 20 years of teaching in the local area Tracey is excited to launch the next stage of her teaching, directing, writing and mentoring career as the school matures into Alma Studios.

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Tempest at the Dell 1We would like to thank the following photographers for their work:
Janine Bailey
Glenn Harvey
David Kerfoot
Paul Seaby

 

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