At Sharpe Academy, Musical Theatre and Performance is at the heart of everything we do. Our classes are tailored to each age group, ranging from building confidence and social skills in our 3-year-olds, to giving students vital tools which will help them in a range of career paths, and preparing our older vocational students for a career in performing arts.

Where and When?

All classes take place in Sharpe HQ – our own studios at Harrow Arts Centre, Hatch End.

Musical Theatre Classes

• Act 1 Musical Theatre is a fun 45-minute weekly class combining Singing, Dance, Drama, and Public Speaking to build confidence and creativity. Children perform in class and theatre presentations twice per year. We also work on the LAMDA Introductory Verse & Prose syllabus, with exams available when ready. Every child develops at their own pace in a supportive, nurturing environment. We accept children in the first term after they turn 3 years old. Please be aware, however, that younger children should be able to use the toilet unassisted.

• Act 2 and Act 3 Musical Theatre are exciting weekly 2-hour classes which combine Singing, Acting, and Dance, offering the perfect introduction to Musical Theatre. Students work towards full-scale productions, gaining valuable performance experience in a fun and supportive setting. No experience is needed, just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. An optional LAMDA Acting Programme is also available.

• Our London Musical Theatre Company is a 2.5-hour weekly class for passionate students who love performing. Students participate in full-scale productions with opportunities to audition for principal roles. Previous performance experience is helpful but not essential; commitment and a love of performing matter most. Optional LAMDA Acting exams are available.

Dance and Acrobatics Classes

We offer a range of additional Dance and Acrobatics classes for students who are looking for additional dance training on top of their core Musical Theatre class.

• Mini Ballet & Tap (Ages 3–6) is a fun and engaging class following the ISTD Pre-Primary Ballet and Tap syllabus, designed to develop coordination, musicality, imagination, confidence, and core dance skills in a supportive early-years environment.

• Ballet (Ages 6+) follows the ISTD ballet syllabus, developing classical ballet technique, vocabulary, posture, strength, and artistry in a supportive environment while progressing through the graded syllabus.

• Our Modern (Ages 6+) follows the ISTD syllabus, with students working towards graded and class examinations while developing jazz-based technique, strength, flexibility, musicality, and performance skills in an energetic and progressive training environment.

• Tap (Ages 6+) follows the ISTD syllabus, with students developing rhythm, timing, coordination, musicality, and tap technique in an energetic and supportive environment while working towards graded and class examinations.

• Act 2 and Senior Jazz (Ages 11+) is a high-energy class focused on developing dance technique, including kicks, turns, leaps, flexibility, strength, stamina, and performance quality in a supportive non-exam environment suitable for all experience levels.

• Our Acrobatics (Ages 6+) follows the Acrobatic Arts syllabus, combining dance with floor-based acrobatic skills while focusing on safe and progressive training in flexibility, strength, balance, limbering, and tumbling.

Enrolment

While we offer Monthly, Termly, and Annual payment options, please note that enrolment at Sharpe continues from term to term and year to year – up to school year 13 – until you let us know you wish to end your child’s enrolment. Students are not required to re-enrol each term or academic year; their enrolment continues automatically.

MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS for Act 2, ACT 3, & London Company students All Musical Theatre students in Years 2-13 present a Musical Production during February half term, and a Musical Gala at the end of the academic year, in July. These productions are performed in the stunning Grade II-listed Elliott Hall Theatre at Harrow Arts Centre. Rehearsals take place during weekly Musical Theatre classes. Our musical production for 2026 is Legally Blonde Jr. JOIN NOW TO TAKE PART! Children in our Act 1 Musical Theatre class present an Open Class to parents during their final class of the autumn term, and an Showcase Presentation to family and friends at the end of the academic year in July.

Where are we based?

All Sharpe classes take place at our Sharpe HQ campus at Harrow Arts Centre (Saturdays & weekday evenings).

Welcome to the Sharpe Academy Acting Course

We have been entering students for LAMDA examinations for over 17 years. We are proud to have a 100% pass rate, with the majority of students achieving a Merit or Distinction. Sharpe Exam sessions are scheduled during school holidays throughout the academic year, usually around December, April, May and July. You can also book directly into the LAMDA Public Centre Examinations that take place all around the UK throughout the year. 

LAMDA ACTING EXAMINATIONS

Sharpe Academy has developed an Acting programme allowing students to progress up their grades working from home with private lessons when required. 

For more information on each Grade, prices and exam dates please click the grade you wish to study.

Once you have booked your course we will send you a link to access the materials. If you have already made a booking the please click the required grade and enter your password at the bottom of the page.

Autumn Term 2026

Saturday 12 September to Wednesday 2 December 2026
Half-term (no classes): Monday 19th to Saturday 31st October 2026

If the Term Dates image below doesn't load, please click here for a downloadable PDF of our Part-time Class Information.

If the Timetable image below doesn't load, please click here for a downloadable PDF of our Part-time Class Information.

If the Fees image below doesn't load, please click here for a downloadable PDF of our Part-time Class Information.

Sharpe Uniform

Uniform is compulsory for all our classes. In addition to creating an identity for us as an Academy, it gives our students a sense of pride in being an important part of their group. It also helps to build simple disciplines that can be carried forward in life. Dancewear is also required for all classes except Act 1. All our uniform can be purchased from our own online store – Sharpe Dancewear. Full details are at the bottom of this page.

We keep our uniform as simple as possible:

ACT 1 UNIFORM

• Red Sharpe T-shirt
• Comfortable clothing, for example joggers/leggings and trainers/sneakers.
• Due to the nature of our classes, clothing such as jeans, skirts, dresses and boots/Uggs are unsuitable.

ACT 2 & ACT 3 UNIFORM

• Red Sharpe Polo Shirt
• Girls — Red Sleeveless Leotard*
• Girls — Black Footless Dance Tights*
• Boys — Black Biketard (Unitard)
• Boys — Sharpe Shorts or Plain Black Joggers/Shorts or Black Jazz Pants
• All — Black Jazz Shoes

LONDON COMPANY UNIFORM (School Years 7-10)

• Red Sharpe Polo Shirt
• Girls — Black Sleeveless Leotard*
• Girls — Black Footless Dance Tights*
• Boys — Black Biketard (Unitard)
• Boys — Sharpe Shorts or Plain Black Joggers/Shorts or Black Jazz Pants
• All — Black Jazz Shoes

* If girls also participate in our additional Modern dance class at Grade or higer, they can wear their Catsuit instead of leotard & tights.

LONDON COMPANY UNIFORM (School Years 11-13)

We are slightly more relaxed with uniform for our older London Company students:

• Students' own choice of dancewear. This must be plain with no logos.
• Black Jazz Shoes

Sharpe Dancewear – Online Store

SharpeDancewear.co.uk was created specifically as an easy and cost effective way for parents of our enrolled students to purchase the correct uniform for our classes. We keep our prices as low as possible in order to cover our costs without operating for profit. Orders placed for our students can usually be collected from their class within a few days. Sharpe Dancewear is also where we take Trial Class Deposit payments for new students.

In addition to uniform, parents can book:

• Private Lessons (when available)
• Summer Schools
• Souvenir Programme pre-orders for our Musical Productions
• Occasional tickets and special events

Trial Classes

Our Musical Theatre and Dance classes are open to all ages from Nursery to School Year 13. We run regular trial classes throughout the year.

HOW TO BOOK

Simply follow the BOOK A TRIAL link above to secure your place.

TRIAL CLASS FEES

A small fee will normally be required to secure your Musical Theatre trial class. This guarantees your child’s place at their trial class, and their subsequent place at Sharpe Academy if they join after the trial. Trial fees are non-refundable if you are unable to attend your booked trial class for any reason, including illness. 

Why do we charge a fee?

Our experience has shown that around half of the students booked in for a free trial do not turn up on the day. By charging a fee we can ensure that places go to those who actually want them. And by crediting the fee against your subsequent termly fees, we ensure you do not pay extra for your trial class.

CLASS AVAILABILITY

We currently have places available in our Saturday morning Act 1 class and our Saturday afternoon Act 2 & Act 3 classes. We also have limited availability in our Wednesday evening London Company class.
We have good availability in most of our Dance and Acrobatics classes. Fancy trying these alongside your Musical Theatre class? Just get in touch and we will advise which classes are best for you.

WHEN WILL THE NEXT TRIAL CLASSES TAKE PLACE?

• Act 1 Musical Theatre (Harrow Arts Cente, Saturdays, 9am–9.45am)
  Our next trial class will take place on Saturday 3rd January 2026.

• Act 2 & Act 3 Musical Theatre (Harrow Arts Cente, Saturdays, 2pm–4pm)
  Our next trial class will take place on Saturday 28th February 2026.

• London Musical Theatre Company (Harrow Arts Centre, Wednesdays, 7pm–9.30pm)
  Our next trial class will take place on Wednesday 25th February 2025.

If you have any questions that are not answered here, elsewhere on this page or on our Class Information PDF please do get in touch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

1. Do you offer Drama or LAMDA classes without singing and dancing?

   No, our core classes are Musical Theatre and have a mixture of all three disciplines: Acting, Singing and Dance. LAMDA exams are optional for all students.

2. Do I need to re-enrol each term?

   No, when a student joins Sharpe Academy – whether at age 3 or age 18 – they remain enrolled until the end of School Year 13, or until written notice is received to cancel their enrolment. Students are not required to re‑enrol each term or academic year; their enrolment continues automatically.

3. Can my child take extra dance classes?

   Yes, we have additional dance options for all ages. Our youngest children aged 3–6 can add a Mini Ballet & Tap class, and Ballet, Modern, Tap and Acrobatics classes are available to all students aged 6+. Students in our London Company class (ages 11+) can also add a Technical Jazz class to their timetable.

4. Why do you charge a fee for your trial classes?

   This ensures that our trial places go to those who really want to attend. Before we began charging for trial classes, approximately half of those booked didn't turn up on their trial day. This meant there were children on our waiting list who could have been offered these places. We keep this fee to a minimum, and if a child continues with us after their trial class, the trial fee is deducted from their fees rather than being an additional charge.

5. My child is in Year 1 and has turned 6 years old. Can they join your Act 2 class?

   Not yet. Our Act 2 Musical Theatre class begins when students start Year 2 at school; therefore, they can join Act 2 in the September following their 6th birthday. Children in Year 1 can join our Act 1 class.

6. My child is in Year 4. Should they join your Act 2 or Act 3 class?

   Students in Year 4 always start in our Act 2 class. On rare occasions, we can move Year 4 students into the Act 3 class; this decision is made by the Sharpe Teaching & Management team and is based on class sizes, dance experience, etc.

7. My child is in Year 7. Should they join your Act 3 class or your London Company class?

   Almost all students move up to our London Company class when they begin Year 7 so that is the class we will invite Year 7 students to join. However, your child can join our Act 3 class if they are in Year 7.