SB ACTING STUDIO
THE CENTRE FOR IMMEDIATE ACTING
ONLINE & IN-PERSON TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONAL ACTORS
A Place where you can make your best, better!
WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE?
OUR PURPOSE
SB Acting Studio delivers specialised, career-focused training exclusively for working professional actors who are serious about results. Our courses are designed for both emerging and established professional actors ready to elevate their work, expand their range, and compete at the highest level of the industry.
OUR APPROACH TO TRAINING
Confidence Comes from Mastery: At SB Acting Studio, we believe lasting confidence comes from mastering a dependable, accessible, acting technique — one you can trust when the pressure is on. That is why we created the Immediate Acting Technique: a precise, effective, and time-efficient approach designed for the demands of the contemporary professional actor.
Though Rooted in Meisner, Immediate Acting is a hybrid technique: It incorporates Meisner’s fundamental principles of active listening, truthful response and living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.
But it goes beyond a traditional Meisner-based approach.
Immediate Acting combines these principles with a practical process for researching, preparing, embodying and executing distinctive, authentic and impactful characters — creating a direct bridge between preparation and compelling performance. The result is greater freedom to make bold, specific and memorable choices while remaining completely alive and responsive in the moment.
THE FOUR STAGES OF IMMEDIATE ACTING TECHNIQUE
STAGE ONE: THE MEISNER INTENSIVE WORKSHOP (Live & In-Person classes)
5–10 October 2026 | Daily from 10:00 AM–5:30 PM
Develop the foundations of active listening, truthful response and spontaneous behaviour through progressively challenging circumstances.
STAGE TWO: CHARACTER PREPARATION (Online only)
27 October–18 December 2026 (A weekly 2-hour session for 7 weeks)
Work with Steve and your scene partner to research the play and character, analyse and breakdown the scene and develop an individual, practical approach to your performance.
STAGE THREE: CHARACTER ACTION INTO TRANSACTION (Live & In-Person classes)
28–30 January & 11–13 February 2027 | Daily from 10:00 AM–5:30 PM
Put your preparation into action. Work with your scene partner to test, explore and apply Immediate Acting principles in live rehearsals & showcases.
STAGE FOUR: CHARACTER TRANSFORMATION (Live & In-Person Classes + Online)
Spring 2027. Exact dates & times TBA
Explore the vocal, physical and behavioural adjustments required to fully inhabit and embody the character.
All of our Immediate Acting Technique classes are designed to enhance — not replace — your existing skills. Our approach deepens your craft and empowers you to consistently deliver your strongest work, helping you to make your best, better.
OUR EXPERIENCE
Our founder, Stephen C. Buckwald, brings over 40 years of experience training professional actors across the UK, USA, and Europe. His Immediate Acting Technique integrates a wide range of contemporary approaches to character preparation and performance, offering a practical and insightful method for creating authentic, compelling work. Many actors he has trained have gone on to build successful and award-winning careers on both stage and screen (for more information about Steve's background please see his biography)
Supporting this is a dedicated team of experienced professionals, including working actors and specialist coaches in voice, movement, and stage combat. Together, they deliver a comprehensive training programme that reflects the full spectrum of skills required in today’s industry—preparing actors to meet the demands of modern performance with confidence and versatility.
OUR FLEXIBILITY
We know your schedule can change overnight. Auditions come in. Shoots get booked. Rehearsals move.
Our blended learning model—25% online training and 75% in-person studio work—is designed to give you the flexibility to maintain momentum in your training while responding to professional opportunities as they arise. Small group classes and one-to-one coaching ensure the work remains focused, personalised, and immediately applicable.
OUR AFFORDABILITY
We know how expensive life is these days, and that is why SB Acting Studio is committed to offering professional actors training at the most reasonable rates possible. In addition, we offer professional actors a 10% discount if they are registered with Actor's Equity. We can also offer qualified actors an easy schedule payment plan if necessary (for more information about our rates please go the the Application Page --> Payment & Fees)
OUR CLASS ENVIRONMENT
Each class is carefully shaped to include no fewer than eight and no more than twelve actors—achieving an ensemble intimate enough for trust, and expansive enough for discovery. Within this space, every voice is heard, every risk witnessed, every moment shared. You will be working alongside fellow professionals who bring the same commitment, focus, and hunger for growth. Together, you form a collective energy—one that challenges, supports, and elevates the work beyond what any individual could achieve alone.
"Steve is an unforgettable teacher, mainly because of his attention to detail and sheer love for his craft. His focus on staple teachings like Meisner and Stanislavski are ones that have stayed in my bones and my approach to screen acting to this day. The most wonderful thing about Steve is that he won’t let you get away with any level of artificial acting - he demands truth - and I think as an actor, our ability to be honest with ourselves is the most important skill to have. You can truly rely on these classes because his knowledge on these techniques is truly endless and it’s a privilege that he continues sharing his wisdom with us through SB Acting Studio."
- Jessica Reynolds, LifeHack (2026) feature film; A Woman of Substance (2026) for Channel 4; House of Guinness (2025) for Netflix; and the films Kneecap (2024), The Wolf, the Fox, and the Leopard (2025).
WHAT COURSES DO WE OFFER?
IMMEDIATE ACTING: STAGE ONE - THE MEISNER INTENSIVE WORKSHOP (Live & In-Person)
A six-day intensive workshop delivered daily between Monday 5 October until Saturday 10 October 2026 (10:00 - 17:30)
IMMEDIATE ACTING: STAGE TWO - CHARACTER PREPARATION (Online only)
This stage will be delivered weekly from Tuesday, 27 October through Friday, 18 December 2026. Each two-hour weekly session will involve a scene partnership working with Steve on developing new, original, and effective approaches to researching the play and character, as well as analysing and breaking down the scene.
IMMEDIATE ACTING: STAGE THREE - CHARACER ACTION INTO TRANSACTION (Live & In-Person)
This stage will be delivered live and in person over two three-day weekends. The first weekend will run from Thursday, 28 January to Saturday, 30 January 2027, and the second from Thursday, 11 February to Saturday, 13 February 2027. Both weekends will run from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM each day. Working with a scene partner in class, actors actively test, explore, and apply the principles of Immediate Acting in real time, discovering how the research and preparation developed in STAGE TWO translate into live, dynamic, and truthful action.
IMMEDIATE ACTING: STAGE FOUR - CHARACTER TRANSFORMATION (Live & In-Person and Online)
Dates & Times for this stage are TBA.
THE ACTOR'S CLINIC (Online only)
Bespoke coaching aimed at helping the professional actor with upcoming auditions, self-tapes, show reels, rehearsal preparation, or specific acting issues they would like to address.Sessions by appointment only.
THE ACTOR'S MOVEMENT WORKSHOP (Live & In-Person)
A five-day intensive delivered live and in-person designed to get you 'out of your head' and better connected to your body and the space around you. Dates & Times: TBA.
"I have used the techniques and approaches taught to me by Stephen Buckwald throughout my professional career. It is an approach to acting that unlocks deeper secrets of character but also leaves open a scope for truly filling a performance with real life and energy - show after show, shot after shot, and take after take..."
- Kobna Holdbrook-Smith MBE, Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for Tina! The Tina Turner Musical, West End,; Corolanas at the National Theatre; Wonka (Film); The Split (TV Series); Mary Poppins Returns (Film); The Effect (National Theatre); His Dark Materials (TV Series)
PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR OUR STAGE ONE: MEISNER INTENSIVE WORKSHOP TO RUN 22-27 JUNE 2026, AS WELL AS THE ACTOR'S CLINIC ONLINE. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT US AT steve@sbactingstudio.co.uk.
HOW CAN I APPLY?
You can apply for any of our courses by going to our Application Page and filling out our application form. We will then be in touch to schedule a free, no-obligation zoom meeting where we will go over our offerings in more detail, as well as answer any questions you may have. The cost of each course can be found on the Payment and Fees page under our Application page.