Ben Woodhall

Director & Acting Coach

Directing

Coaching

Ben Woodhall: Director & Coach

About me

I’m a London-based director and acting coach, and the founder of OnAction Studio, with a classical training from The Drama Centre London and over 15 years of professional experience on stage and screen, including work in award-winning productions and BBC television.

For the past eight years, I’ve worked as an acting coach, supporting professional actors through all stages of auditioning and preparation for set. I’ve prepared clients for Netflix and Disney films, HBO and BBC dramas, and have coached over 2,000 self-tape auditions, specialising in audition technique and screen preparation.

Alongside my coaching work, I am a theatre director and have directed productions at Arcola Theatre, Southwark Playhouse, the Old Red Lion, the Drayton Arms, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. A deep understanding of the actor’s process, a passion for collaboration and a love of the theatrical experience, underpin all my work.

Projects

A selection of my directing and coaching work.

The Grim

Director

Darkly comic thriller, set in an undertakers in 1960's Bethnal Green. 5 Star sell out - Ed Fringe, Old Red Lion Theatre & Southwark Playhouse.

OnAction Studio

Founder & acting coach

London's creative home for the professional actor. Supporting actors from tape to set. Clients with lead roles in Netflix, BBC & HBO.

Poltergiest

Assistant Director

Philip Ridley's one man epic, starring Louis Davison - 5 stars - Arcola Theatre

Masterclass with Philip Ridley

Workshop leader

Intensive workshops on 'Pitchfork Disney' with playwright Philip Ridley at Kings Head Theatre.

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Coaching

Directing

Experience Matters

With a classical acting training at The Drama Centre London, years of experience acting on stage & screen, I take an deep understanding of the actors process into my work as a director and coach. My approach is at all times collaborative and never prescriptive.

For the past 8 years in my work as a coach, I have successfully taken clients through all rounds of auditioning and prepared them to go onto set, for lead roles in Netflix/Disney films, leads on BBC dramas and Co-leads on HBO Emmy winning dramas. Clients include; Staz Nair, Tracy Ifeachor, Joe Dempsie, Pixie Lott, Chuku Modu and Charley Palmer -Rothwell.