LAMDA Graduation Ceremony 2023

LAMDA’s 2023 graduation day was a vibrant and joyous occasion!

The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, LAMDA’s venerable west London neighbour, played host to our 2023 graduating Foundation, Undergraduate and Postgraduate students in mid-October when over 160 student actors, directors and production & technical arts practitioners, along with their families and friends came together.

The graduation ceremony was led by LAMDA’s Principal & CEO, Professor Mark O’Thomas, and Executive Dean of Drama School, Will Wollen. 

The building came alive well before the ceremony itself with students arriving to have their gowns and caps fitted and formal photographs taken. Once the audience of over 400 was seated in the theatre LAMDA senior staff and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, The Rt Hon Shaun Woodward, were joined in a procession to the stage of the theatre by LAMDA’s President and Vice President, Benedict Cumberbatch CBE and Patricia Hodge OBE. The assembled platform party shared inspiring speeches and oversaw the formalities of turning graduands into graduates. 

Head of Actor Training, Dr. Philippa Strandberg-Long, and Head of Technical Training, Rob Young, announced this year’s graduates before Principal & CEO, Professor Mark O’Thomas, exercised his special powers of transformation to graduate the assembled cohort, who as one great ensemble let their feelings be known with great voice. 

This year the ceremony was complemented with musical performances by members drawn from the graduating year, and by a moving and humorous speech dedicated to the graduates delivered by LAMDA Alumnus, David Oyelowo. David, who was being honoured with a Master of Dramatic Arts Degree by Benedict, shared his wisdom and his insights of how to navigate the depths and the shallows of a life in the performing arts.

Photographs of the ceremony and reception were taken by our resident photographer and LAMDA graduate, Sam Taylor. You can view more in the gallery below.