Inside Italia Conti, where the world is still a stage

The British institution has been developing theatrical talent for more than a century. But these days there's a much softer approach-and a food bank

- Lyndsey Winship

When I walk into renowned stage school Italia Conti, in the smart new building in Woking, southern England, that has been its home since 2022, the first thing that hits me is the quiet. Where are the students dancing on tables? Rehearsing scenes in the hallways? Some are offsite, it turns out, rehearsing for a show, but those I see are busy on their phones in the corridors, like any other young adults.

Life has changed at Italia Conti since its earliest days. The school celebrates its 115th anniversary this year. It was founded in London in 1911 by the English actor Italia Conti to teach a group of children appearing in the play Where the Rainbow Ends at the Savoy theatre. Noël Coward was among the young performers. By the 1930s the school was advertising lessons in elocution, acting, singing, fencing and dance (ballroom, "operatic, Greek and stage dancing").

These days, it's commercial dance, aerial circus skills and getting advice on your social media presence. There have been some big shifts during the past decade. The financial strain of Covid forced the closure in 2021 of the junior school for ages 11-16, the alma mater of Bonnie Langford, Louise Redknapp and Martine McCutcheon. In the state sector, Liverpool's Lipa has announced it is closing its primary and secondary schools at the end of this summer term.