Pauline Quirke: ‘It feels right to be coming home to where it all began for me’

THE famous Poor School building is to become home to a new drama centre.

The Pauline Quirke Academy, named after the Birds of a Feather star, is to take on the theatre school base in Pentonville Road, King’s Cross.

The Poor School, a starting point for a host of celebrated actors, announced in 2016 that it was to close after 30 years.]

The Poor School building

Ms Quirke’s venture runs 200 acting schools across the country.

Adam Davenport, artistic director at the academy, said: “We jumped at the opportunity to move into Islington. The most exciting thing is making connections with people in the area.”

Mr Davenport said the academy was planning a red-carpet event for students finishing their course in 2019. Ms Quirke will give out certificates to celebrate their completion of a year’s vocational training.

Academy students

The academy is holding auditions for its sixth-form, where it offers 30 places on a vocational, two-year performing arts course. It also has a one-year foundation course.

Ms Quirke, who went to Anna Scher theatre school in Islington as a teenager, said: “It feels right to be coming home to where it all began for me, and to offer the opportunities I had to the next generation of young performers.”