History[edit]

The school was founded in London in 1926 as the Webber Douglas School of Singing,^[1] by Walter Johnstone Douglas (youngest son of Arthur Johnstone-Douglas) and Amherst Webber.^[1] It was created from the singing academy founded in 1906 in Paris by Jean de Reszke.^[1] By 1932, the school had added full theatrical training to its curriculum, and was renamed the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art.^[2][3] It was located at 30 Clareville St in South Kensington.


In 2006, the academy was absorbed into the Central School of Speech and Drama.^[1] Many of the academy's past alumni have formed a theatre company dedicated to keeping the original spirit of the school alive. In 2009, the Central School of Speech and Drama renamed its Embassy Studio the Webber Douglas Studio.^[1]