Training with Professional Actors
Customised in-house training
Training with professional actors
A fully customised course delivered at your premises, where your people practise real conversations with trained actors playing the people and situations they actually face at work.
Why include professional actors? Because knowing what to say isn’t the same as being able to say it.
Most training explains the theory of a difficult conversation. Very little of it lets people actually have one. With one or two professional actors working alongside an experienced trainer, your people practise the moments that matter – with someone who responds exactly as a real colleague would.
Realistic reactions
The actors are trained in workplace role-play and forum theatre. They stay in character and respond to the attendee’s words, tone and approach – just as a real colleague would.
See it in action
An attendee softens the message so much that the actor leaves the room thinking everything is fine. They run it again – and this time the point lands.
Expert guidance
An experienced trainer leads the day, teaches the skills, sets up each scenario and coaches attendees as they put it into practice.
See it in action
Before each conversation the trainer sets out a simple structure to follow. Afterwards, they pinpoint the one change that would have altered the outcome.
Immediate feedback
The actor steps out of character to say how the conversation felt on the receiving end – alongside feedback from the trainer and the group.
See it in action
“When you said that, I stopped listening. It felt like I was being told off in front of the team.” Feedback people rarely get from a real colleague.
Time to try again
Pause, reflect and practise a different approach. It’s the closest thing to the real conversation without the real consequences.
See it in action
“Let’s stop there.” The attendee takes a breath, changes their opening line and runs the conversation again – calmer, clearer and with a better result.
Relevant scenarios
Every scenario is written around your organisation and your team’s real challenges – tough feedback, difficult customers, workplace conflict, unwelcome news.
See it in action
A team leader has to tell a long-serving, well-liked colleague that their work is slipping – using your job titles, your pressures and your personalities.
Everyone practises
Every attendee gets hands-on practice – not just the confident ones – in a safe, supportive space with a group of up to 12.
See it in action
Nobody watches from the sidelines. Each attendee takes a turn, while the rest of the group observes and learns from every conversation.
Which courses can include professional actors? Any course where the hardest part is a conversation.
Actor-led practice isn’t just for managers. We build the same format around whichever course your team needs – the trainer teaches the skills, the actors bring the conversations to life.
Management & leadership
Tough feedback, underperformance and team conflict – see our dedicated management training with professional actors page.
Equality, diversity & inclusion
Practise inclusive conversations – challenging inappropriate comments, responding well to disclosures and finding the right words when it matters most.
Customer service
Handle complaints and de-escalate difficult customers, with an actor who pushes back exactly as a frustrated caller or visitor would.
Conflict resolution
Work through disagreements between colleagues and practise calm, structured conversations that clear the air.
Reasonable adjustments & effective conversations
Practise disability-related workplace conversations with confidence, sensitivity and the right language.
Your course here
Appraisals, assertiveness, communication, HR investigations – if your people face difficult conversations, we can write scenarios around them.
Meet the lead actor
Aedan Duckworth
Aedan is our Lead Actor and coordinates the wider actor team across our role-play and scenario-based training programmes. He works closely with our training coordinators and facilitators to create realistic, engaging and impactful learning experiences.
A professional screen actor with extensive broadcast experience, Aedan is best known for playing Oliver Morgan in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks for three years. His other work includes appearances across BBC, Sky and Channel 4 productions, as well as national television commercials for Jet2 and the Royal Navy.
His professional acting experience brings an added level of realism to our training. Aedan can respond naturally to different personalities and approaches, stay fully in character as conversations develop, and recreate the pressures and emotions of real workplace situations.
As seen on
Curious how this would work for your team?
Tell us a little about your team and we’ll talk you through how a day would run, what it would cost and whether it’s the right fit – no pressure, no hard sell.
A quick conversation is usually the easiest place to start.
How it works From first call to the day itself
Every actor-led course is built from scratch around your people, so we start by understanding what they’re dealing with.
Before the day
Discovery call
We talk to you about your team, the conversations they find hardest and what “better” would look like.
Before the day
Scenario design
We write realistic scenarios based on your workplace – the roles, the pressures and the personalities – and agree them with you.
On the day
The training day
Trainer-led input on the skills, then structured practice with the actors. Attendees try, get feedback, and try again.
Afterwards
Follow-up
Post-course notes for each attendee, plus free telephone and email support from the trainer afterwards.
We come to you Anywhere in the UK
Our trainer and actors travel to your premises, so your people practise in the environment they actually work in – no venue to book, no travel for your team and no time out of the office beyond the day itself.
From London to Glasgow and Cardiff to Belfast, we deliver in-house across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Delivered at your offices or a venue of your choice
- Trainer and actor travel included in your quote
- Everything brought to you – just provide the room
UK-widein-house delivery
What’s included
Everything built around your team
- Discovery call and bespoke scenario design
- Full day at your premises, UK-wide
- Experienced trainer plus professional actor(s)
- Group of up to 12 attendees
- Reference materials and certificates for every attendee
- Free post-course telephone and email support
“It was, in my view, one of the best courses we have organised for us. It was brilliantly structured and presented, and well paced too.”Head of Sales & Customer Service – client feedback
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is role-play with actors uncomfortable for attendees?
It’s designed not to be. Nobody performs in front of the room without preparation – the trainer builds up to it, the actors are skilled at putting people at ease, and the emphasis is on practice and feedback, not judgement. Most attendees tell us it was the most useful part of the day.
How many actors are involved?
Typically one or two, depending on the scenarios and group size. We’ll recommend the right set-up on the discovery call.
Can this be delivered remotely?
The actor-led format works best face to face at your premises. If you need a remote option, our standard full-day and half-day live online courses are a better fit.
How much does it cost?
Because every course is written around your organisation, we quote individually. Tell us about your team and we’ll come back to you with a tailored proposal and price.
Ready to give your team real practice?
Tell us about your team and the conversations they find hardest, and we’ll design a course around them.