Three years of professional actor training, in the centre of Paris. Twelve hours of studio work a week, small year groups, and admission by audition — not by academic record.
Cours Peyran Lacroix has been training actors for some twenty years at 7 rue Louis le Grand, in the 2nd arrondissement, a two-minute walk from the Opéra. Teaching is in French.
What we teach
Our work is built on the American tradition of actor training: Sanford Meisner first, alongside Stanislavski and Stella Adler.
Meisner’s principle is simple and demanding — acting is responding truthfully to what is happening in front of you. Not indicating, not illustrating, not performing feelings. In France the technique is usually taught in short workshops; here it forms a full two-year strand inside the professional programme.
Alongside it: voice and body work, classical and contemporary repertoire, screen acting, and in the final year the practical business of entering the profession — showreel, casting preparation, meeting agents.
The programme at a glance
| Length | 3 years, entry into year 1 |
| Hours | 12 hours a week, extendable to 16 or 24 |
| Fees | €410 per month — €4,100 a year, the same in all three years |
| Admission | By audition. No diploma or degree required |
| Language | All teaching is in French |
| Location | 7 rue Louis le Grand, Paris 75002 — Métro Opéra |
| Audition | 4 hours of studio work and an interview, free, no commitment |
The programme is not a state-accredited qualification (RNCP), and carries no student-visa sponsorship of its own. International applicants should check their own visa requirements before applying.
Where our graduates are
The honest measure of a drama school is not what it says about itself, but what becomes of the people who leave it. Jeanne Arènes, Malik Zidi, Victor Belmondo, Sami Outalbali and Louise Labèque all trained on these floors before working in French film and television.
We promise nobody a career — no school honestly can. What we offer is a room where serious work happens every day, with people who do this for a living. The school holds 4.9/5 on Google across 137 reviews.
Victor Belmondo in « Le Rouge et le Noir »
Apply for the audition
The entrance audition is four hours of studio work followed by an individual interview; the date of the next session is confirmed when you register. No preparation is required for entry into year 1, and you commit to nothing by attending. The form below is in French — write to us if you would rather apply by email.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to speak French?
Yes. All classes, exercises and repertoire work are in French, and the audition is conducted in French. A working conversational level is the practical minimum; the acting work itself will push your language much further.
Do I need a degree or diploma to apply?
No. There is no academic requirement of any kind. Admission rests entirely on the audition, which is a four-hour working session rather than a test of your CV.
How much does it cost?
€410 per month, which is €4,100 for the academic year, identical in all three years, plus €80 annual registration. That is substantially below most private drama schools in Paris.
What happens at the audition?
It runs exactly like a normal class: four hours of individual and group exercises drawn from the techniques we teach, so you experience the school before committing to anything. No preparation is required for entry into year 1. Philippe Peyran Lacroix then meets each candidate individually and gives his answer the same day.
Can I join in the second or third year?
Yes, if you can show at least one year of training at a recognised drama school. Candidates for years 2 and 3 prepare a contemporary monologue of up to three minutes for the audition.
Are there evening classes for non-professionals?
Yes — a weekly three-hour evening class runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays at €110 a month, ending in a public performance. It is open to beginners.
