THE RADA LIBRARY

CONTACT DETAILS

18-22 Chenies Street, London, WC1E 7PA
+44 (0)20 7636 7076
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OPENING HOURS

APRIL
OPEN 11AM – 5PM
FROM TUESDAY 3 – FRI 20 (CLOSED WEEKENDS)

TERM TIME HOURS FROM MON 23

Term time opening hours:
Mon to Thu 9.15am - 7.45pm
Fri 10am - 6.30pm
Sat 12pm - 4pm

THE LIBRARY

OVER 40,000 ACQUISITIONS
MORE THAN 12,000 PLAYS

Possibly the largest collection of rare and out of print plays in the English language, as well as books on many other aspects of theatre. Subjects include: Acting, Voice and Speech, Movement and Dance, Alexander Technique, Music, Theatre History, Theory of Drama, Playwriting, Directing, Stage Design, Stage Management, Sound, Lighting, Art, Poetry, Film, Photography and Social History.

Using the Library

The Library Catalogue can be viewed here

Staff, Students and Graduates can access their library accounts online - please contact the library for your username and pin number.

The library can be used by all full-time academy staff and students. A cash deposit is required to borrow. Full time students may borrow up to eight items at any one time, (short course students, graduates, staff and external readers by arrangement). Books must be returned or renewed within four weeks. Late fees will be charged at 10p per day. Items may be recalled if another user requires them. It is the borrower’s responsibility to ensure items are safely returned. Lost or damaged items will incur a minimum charge of £10.00. External readers must make enquiries or book an appointment by e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Please note that a charge of £10.00 will be made for a visitor to access the library – this will not give any borrowing rights.

Computers & Digital Resources

Library membership will give you access to the following online resources: Drama Online, Cambridge Journals, Theatre in Video, Digital Theatre Plus and RADA Accents Archive.

For access off-site you will need to register for an Open Athens account in the library.

The Film & Video Collection

There are several thousand films including recent releases, British & Hollywood classics, Foreign Language, TV Dramas, The Animal World and Social History documentaries.

The Music Collection

There is a variety of sheet music, including musical scores, popular music songbooks, opera, classical music, and folk songs. Music can be borrowed for one day only.