Dame Judi Dench claims acting has become elitist as many young people cannot afford to attend drama school or the theatre. The Oscar-winning actress reveals she is inundated with requests for help from youngsters wanting to enter the profession. The 79-year-old actress said: ‘Anyone who’s in the theatre gets letters countless times a week asking for help to get through drama school. You can do so much, but you can’t do an endless thing. It is very expensive.’ Dame Judi Dench said that financial barriers to training are making the acting profession elitist . Dame Judi, who attended the private Mount School in York where fees cost £8,700 a year, said that financial barriers to training have made the profession more elitist since the demise of repertory theatre. She said it is vital for youngsters to learn by watching professional stage performances, but recognises the high costs of tickets. ‘I always say to young students, “Go and see as much as you possibly can”, which is what we used to do,’ she told The Observer. ‘But then we paid a pittance for sitting in the gods.’ It follows a plethora of public school-educated stars who have emerged in Hollywood films and TV series. Birdsong star Eddie Redmayne, Homeland’s Damian Lewis, The Wire’s Dominic West and War Horse actor Tom Hiddlestone all attended Eton College. Damian Lewis, who played Sergeant Nicholas Brody in hit series Homeland, is one of a string of successful actors who attended Eton College .
Oscar-winning actress says financial barriers have made profession elitist .
Dame Judi says she is inundated with requests for help from youngsters .
She attended Mount School, in York, which charges £8,700 a year .
Dame Judi Dench claims acting has become elitist as many young people cannot afford to attend drama school or the theatre. The Oscar-winning actress reveals she is inundated with requests for help from youngsters wanting to enter the profession. The 79-year-old actress said: ‘Anyone who’s in the theatre gets letters countless times a week asking for help to get through drama school. You can do so much, but you can’t do an endless thing. It is very expensive.’ Dame Judi Dench said that financial barriers to training are making the acting profession elitist . Dame Judi, who attended the private Mount School in York where fees cost £8,700 a year, said that financial barriers to training have made the profession more elitist since the demise of repertory theatre. She said it is vital for youngsters to learn by watching professional stage performances, but recognises the high costs of tickets. ‘I always say to young students, “Go and see as much as you possibly can”, which is what we used to do,’ she told The Observer. ‘But then we paid a pittance for sitting in the gods.’ It follows a plethora of public school-educated stars who have emerged in Hollywood films and TV series. Birdsong star Eddie Redmayne, Homeland’s Damian Lewis, The Wire’s Dominic West and War Horse actor Tom Hiddlestone all attended Eton College. Damian Lewis, who played Sergeant Nicholas Brody in hit series Homeland, is one of a string of successful actors who attended Eton College .
actress reveals she is inundated with requests for help from youngsters wanting to enter the are making the acting profession elitist . Dame Judi, who attended the private Mount School in York where fees cost £8,700 a year, said that financial barriers to training have made the