Testimonials

Matthias Fielden
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Florian Saturley
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Liam Cann
Meryl Duff: the icon; the mentor; the motivator.
I’m lucky to say I’ve been a student of Meryl’s for over eight years now, and I owe a lot to her.
Currently, I’m undertaking professional Acting training at Manchester School of Theatre, {ManMet} one of a handful of Drama Schools (including Rose Bruford and ArtsEd) to offer me a place on their BA Acting course.
Meryl has taught me a great deal over the years, helping me build a solid foundation in both theoretical and practical aspects of Acting. From contemporary plays and playwrights to classical, as well as critical analysis of productions, her witticisms and wisdom know no bounds. You should hear some of her stories!
With Meryl, I’ve taken part in competition award winning plays at local Drama Festivals and achieved Honours and Distinction level marks in Vanguard and LAMDA exams in Acting and Shakespeare Performance, despite recent years’ tuition being over zoom.
Meryl has shown remarkable teaching versatility. One notable example is her production of Part Four of ‘Pass It On’ by Doug Lucie in 2022.
Even when her Director’s chair was behind a screen due to COVID, she found a way to bring us all together to create some diverse and thought-provoking theatre, earning awards for Best Play, Best Director, Best Actor, and Audience Choice for Best Play, along with nominations in other categories.
I’m proud to say I’m a student of Meryl Duff’s, and I couldn’t recommend anyone more highly to educate and illuminate more students’ lives. She’s a gem, this one.
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Margarita Shivarova
My first proper acting class ever was with Meryl Duff in 2017. She took me, and another student, on with the belief that anyone can act and she has been teaching me with the same ‘anything is possible’ attitude ever since.

Meryl is not only a teacher, she is a friend and mentor. She makes sure one can enjoy the class as well as grow, add diversity to their performance and ultimately develop their own technique.

After numerous Vanguard and LAMDA exams she supported me in Advanced Acting Examinations, Drama School applications, and Auditions for three years in a row via online teaching.

This resulted in offers from two of the top drama schools out of which I chose the MA Classical Acting course at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London.

Meryl’s dedication to the work shows most in the ability to tailor her approach to her student’s needs for the best outcome possible. It’s always a joy to work with her!
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Rebekah Hayden
I have taken various LAMDA and Vanguard qualifications with Meryl, including the PCertLAM, which I passed with Distinction. I find Meryl’s teaching methods to be well-balanced between performance and discussion, which is important because the PCertLAM qualification has both practical and written elements.
As well as her obvious wealth of knowledge and experience, Meryl is very passionate about theatre and literature – also politics, social politics and human nature, which led to very interesting and inspiring discussions about my chosen PCertLAM subjects. Meryl encourages her students to ‘dig deep’ when exploring characters and contexts, helping them to find the tiny details that can make the difference between a Merit and a Distinction.
I also found Meryl to be a very caring and understanding person, which I feel is so important when teaching a subject that can expose a student’s vulnerabilities. The circumstances in which I took my PCertLAM were difficult because I had the added responsibilities and pressures of trying to gain this qualification whilst working in the Care industry during the worst of the COVID crisis. Meryl’s moral and practical support during this time was above and beyond expectation, especially when communicating with LAMDA.
I have no hesitation in recommending Meryl to anyone who is looking for a drama teacher, whether it’s with a view to pursuing a career in the Arts or just for the pure joy of theatre and drama.
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Helen Bowhay

I trained with Meryl for many years in my late teens and early 20s, and I thoroughly enjoyed my lessons with her. Meryl is an incredibly warm and welcoming person who is able to guide you to becoming a better actor. She has a real enthusiasm for acting as a whole, and during lessons she will always spur you on to be the best version of yourself.

My lessons were done in person, and then when covid hit, we transitioned to Zoom lessons. The zoom lessons were equally as educational and fulfilling as the in-person lessons.

During zoom lessons, Meryl had massive amounts of resources at the ready so was always prepared with monologues and plays to try out. Our lesson time was split well between theory and practical work.

I highly recommend Meryl. If you’re new to drama, a ball of nerves (as I once was), or a well versed actor – Meryl’s broad knowledge of drama and teaching, and her passion for the subject is perfect for anyone wanting to progress with acting!
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Rachel Honeyball
Throughout my lessons with Meryl, I’ve always found her teaching so helpful, engaging and supportive. She always ensures you’re enjoying the pieces you’re performing whilst providing valuable feedback back and asking for your own self-reflection too.
Her teaching over zoom has been great, particularly on vocal delivery. Her vast quantity and high quality of knowledge has enabled me to learn to become a more confident and independent actress.
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Sarah Gregori
I have taken lessons at The Drama School Exeter for many years.
The whole experience has been amazing.
The tutors and other students are a pleasure to work with and, as a mature student, it makes the classes a joy to attend.

It has been amazing to do online zoom classes, not only when we had lockdown, but also being used now when I’m away for work. The class is still the same and you learn just as much as being in the room.

The showcase productions and additional courses definitely add to the whole acting experience.
Great exam results are always achieved by all of us. This is through our hard work but, also down to the guidance and tutelage given.
I cannot recommend them enough, so thank you so much, Meryl.