A NEW drama school honouring one of Islington’s most famous actors will open in Angel this weekend.

The Pauline Quirke Academy (PQA) will open in Steps Studio with a free open day tomorrow (Saturday), and is now the second PQA in the borough.

Pauline Quirke, famous for her role in 1980s sitcom Birds of a Feather, grew up in Islington and attended the Anna Scher theatre school in Angel as a teenager. She first opened her chain of academies in 2007, but has since had to step away from involvement after being diagnosed with dementia in 2021.

Islington’s first PQA was opened personally by Ms Quirke in 2018, and is based in Hungerford Road.

Thomas Sankey, the academy’s principal, said he was proud to be representing the academy in Ms Quirke’s home borough.

He told the Tribune: “I used to live in Angel, so it feels really special to be able to return and contribute to the community this way. PQA is all about giving young people a supportive space to build confidence, creativity and friendships, and I’m really proud of the environments we create for our students. I think Islington is just the best place to be, it’s got such a supportive family base, people want the best for their kids here.

“When I first started working here, Pauline met with all of the academy’s principals individually and her family were really involved in the business as well. It was a really tight, family-run business and her son is still involved.

“We try and make our centres as inclusive as possible for everyone in the community. The academy is great for children with all needs, we have writing sessions and planning sessions and we have specialist teachers that work with children with additional needs.

“It’s not just about how high you can kick your leg here.”

The  new academy will run three-hour sessions every Saturday from 9.15am to 12.30pm at Steps Studios on Goswell Road.