Here for the drama.
Founded by actor Milly Zero, HFTD gives young people dedicated acting training, honest industry guidance and space to be themselves. Screen technique and stagecraft come together in a community that supports each student’s development.
Screen, stage and honest advice.
For young people who want to focus on acting, or explore it more deeply alongside singing and dance elsewhere. Truth, listening and imagination are at the heart of our work.
Students film every few weeks, with high-resolution footage to watch back and keep. Time to practise, learn from feedback and see their progress.
Agency workshops, trusted relationships and honest advice for students and parents. We help young actors take their next steps when they’re ready.
Every student gets meaningful work in our showcases and films. Roles vary, but everyone has their moment and proper scenes to develop their craft.
A word from Milly.
“Growing up, I struggled to find somewhere that put acting at the heart of the training. I loved performing, but navigating auditions, agents and screen technique often meant learning as I went. I wanted somewhere to develop those skills, ask questions and feel supported.
During lockdown, I ran self-tape workshops for Bonnie & Betty, the agency I’d belonged to as a child. Seeing young actors grow through focused coaching made me ask: what if they could have that support every week?
That became HFTD. A place to explore screen and stage, develop your craft and be yourself. Listening, imagination and truthful responses shape our training, with meaningful work for every student and honest guidance for parents too.
I’m proud of our students’ professional achievements. But seeing someone find their confidence, make friends or perform something they never thought they could is just as important. Drama gave me so much growing up. HFTD exists to pass that on.”
Most auditions happen at home.
A script arrives, a deadline follows, and parents are expected to help their child deliver a performance, read the other lines and get the filming right. It can feel overwhelming, especially when nobody has explained how.
At HFTD, students practise on camera every few weeks, exploring different scripts, characters and styles. They learn to make choices, take direction and feel comfortable on screen, so an audition feels more familiar.
Parents have support too. We offer honest guidance on agents, auditions and next steps. When you need practical help, our separately booked 1-2-1 sessions provide coaching and a reader online, or high-resolution filming and editing in person. A trusted team to turn to, from your first questions to the next recall.
Agency visits, recommendations and honest guidance to help you find the right fit. No referral fee or in-house agency.
Camera practice every few weeks, high-resolution footage for showreels and discounted summer and winter headshot days.
Book a 1-2-1 session with a trusted HFTD coach. We help shape the performance, film and edit the self-tape, ready for you to submit.
Two connected teams. One HFTD community.
Milly leads South London, while Joshua Ely leads North and East London, Essex and Bury St Edmunds. We’re personally run, with a shared curriculum and approach to student care.
Our teachers bring professional training, acting experience and a commitment to helping young people develop.
Milly trained at The BRIT School. She played Hannah in CBBC’s ‘All At Sea’ and Dotty Cotton in ‘EastEnders’. Further screen credits include ‘Too Much’ for Netflix, ‘Call the Midwife’ and ‘Doctors’ for the BBC and ‘Better’ for the BFI, alongside her theatre credits.
Josh trained at LAMDA and East 15 Acting School. His stage and screen experience includes commercials for Stop! Think Fraud, Stamma and Currys, and the short film ‘Inadequate’.
Eva trained at Rose Bruford and founded Written Off Theatre Company. Her credits include ‘EastEnders’, feature film work and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ in Concert.
Giorgia trained at The BRIT School and The Actors Class. An actor, singer and drama facilitator, she has worked with the National Youth Theatre, West End in Schools and Young Film Academy. Theatre credits include ‘Talking People’ and ‘We All Know How This Ends’.
Gracie trained at Chickenshed and with the National Youth Theatre. She facilitates with Frantic Assembly, Theatre Royal Stratford East and Chickenshed. Screen credits include ‘Saturday Night Live UK’, ‘The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox’ and ‘Strike’.
Training at the Guildford School of Acting, Beth’s screen credits include ‘Coronation Street’, the new feature film ‘The Brook’ and BTS’s ‘FRI(END)S’ video. On stage she has appeared in ‘Mary and the Hyenas’ at Hull Truck Theatre and Wilton’s Music Hall, ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ at Northern Stage, ‘Carousel: A Concert’ at Cadogan Hall, ‘A Song for Ella Grey’ on tour with Pilot Theatre and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ at Durham’s Gala Theatre.
Anyebe trained at Rose Bruford. Theatre credits include ‘The Empress’ and ‘Falkland Sound’ for the RSC, ‘Amsterdam’ at the Orange Tree Theatre and Theatre Royal Plymouth, ‘Little Baby Jesus’ at the Orange Tree Theatre and ‘Four Minutes Twelve Seconds’ at Trafalgar Studios and Hampstead Theatre. Screen work includes ‘Dreaming Whilst Black’, ‘Doctors’ and ‘The Evermoor Chronicles’.
Elle trained at LAMDA. Her work includes ‘Noughts & Crosses’ at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, ‘TwinBond’, ‘Clown Clown Baby’, ‘Sounds Good’ for Audible and the short film ‘Save Me’.
Jake trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and plays Christopher in ITV’s ‘G’wed’. Further screen credits include ‘Miss Austen’ and ‘Doctors’ for the BBC, ‘Midsomer Murders’, ‘Endeavour’, ‘Shakespeare & Hathaway’ and ‘Close Personal Friends’ for Amazon. On stage, ‘The Three Seagulls’ at Bristol Old Vic and ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Rose Theatre Kingston.
Barbara played Dana in ‘EastEnders’. Further screen credits include ‘Doctors’, ‘Call the Midwife’, ‘Casualty’, ‘The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox’ and the BFI London Film Festival-nominated short ‘White Girl’. Theatre work includes ‘Dear Elizabeth’ at the Gate Theatre and ‘Unburied’ at The Bunker Theatre.
Maggie trained at RADA and made her professional debut as Bianca in ‘Othello’ at Shakespeare’s Globe. Her screen work includes Winnie Welch in ‘Call the Midwife’ and commercial work.
Beth graduated from East 15 with a First in Acting and stars in the new feature film ‘Drummer Boy’, soon to be released in cinemas. Further credits include ‘Mr Bigstuff’ for Sky, theatre, short films and voiceover.
Fintan trained at Guildford School of Acting. His theatre credits include ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Southwark Playhouse, ‘Dick Whittington’ at Oxford Playhouse and the Pilot Theatre tour of ‘Noughts & Crosses’.
An actor and director, Lauren trained at Goldsmiths, Identity School of Acting and the National Youth Theatre. Her work includes ‘Anansi’ at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, ‘Weight of a Post-It’ and the audiobook ‘Quarter-Love Crisis’.
Every teacher and assistant is Enhanced-DBS checked and trained in safeguarding. Lead Teachers also hold paediatric first aid and Level 2 safeguarding training, with an assistant in every Minis and Juniors class.
Management reviews lesson notes and safeguarding concerns through our central system after every class. Cover teachers come only from our approved, trained pool.
Come and meet us.
The best way to understand HFTD is to watch a class. Your child's first session is free.