What is a LAMDA and the LAMDA exam? LAMDA stands for London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. A LAMDA exam is the speech and drama equivalent of a music grade exam, which begin at basic levels and culminates at Grade 8. The exams use performance to develop self confidence, physical presence and a strong speaking voice.
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When taking LAMDA grades 6 to 8 these exam results can gain the student extra UCAS points. Whether they are studying Drama, Public Speaking or Verse and Prose a young person can take a Grade 6 and earn 12 UCAS points. By the time they do a Grade 8 they can earn nearly the equivalent of an A-Level (30 UCAS points).
Depending on the grade of exam my student is looking to work towards, my lessons are either 20 minutes long or 40 minutes. I advise that students looking to take a medal grade exam (Grades 6 to 8) see me for 40 minute classes. Younger students wont need as much time to prepare for an exam but this will also depend on the student I am working with.
Verse and Prose.
Speaking Verse and Prose learners develop a whole host of skills, from speaking clearly and using voice projection, to improving memorisation and building an understanding of poetry and prose which supports studies in English literature. I would advise students who are not interested in drama but do enjoy reading and creative writing to take this exam.
Acting.
Acting Exam learners develop their vocal, physical and interpretive skills while they delve into characters and explore the background of dramatic texts. Alongside producing authentic performances of their chosen scenes, they also gain an understanding of the context and characters within them. I would advise students who are already interested in drama and the performing arts to take this exam. Some past experience with performance is helpful but not vital.
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Speaking in Public.
Speaking in Public exams prepare our learners for a task that daunts so many people. Learners write their own speeches, researching the topics, creating visual aids and presenting them from memory with the aid of note cards. I would recommend this exam to students who are interested in business studies, public relations and politics.
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Shakespeare.
I only offer the Shakespeare exam to older students who have been through some of the higher grades in Acting. The LAMDA Examinations in Shakespeare are designed to develop an understanding of Shakespeare's language and the skills necessary to communicate a Shakespeare text to an audience. Learners who prepare themselves appropriately will develop: 1. Interpretative skills, 2. Technical skills
3. knowledge of the performance process.
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Devising.
For those that want to make their own work, our Devising Drama exams allow learners to create their own scenes from scratch. Provided with a list of themes to pick from, learners create the characters and write the scripts themselves. Again a good understanding of performance and some past experience in acting will be helpful for a student wishing to sit these exams.