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17th June 2026
Second-year BA Professional Acting student Charlotte Edwards has been awarded a Laurence Olivier bursary.
Facilitated by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT), The Theatre Development Trust have awarded Laurence Olivier bursaries to eleven exceptional drama school students, providing them with vital financial support as they enter their final year of training.
Nominees are put forward by drama schools across the UK and invited to audition in central London. Each nominee is also interviewed by a panel of theatre professionals, chaired by SOLT President and Executive Director at Sonia Friedman Productions, Kash Bennett.
The bursaries are funded by SOLT and a group of key donors. In addition to the Theatre Development Trust, this year’s bursaries were made possible by the generous support of the Estate of Sir Peter and Lady Saunders, The Clothworkers’ Foundation, the estate of Carmen Silvera (via Barry Burnett), and The Casting Directors’ Guild.
Charlotte joins a long line of previous bursary recipients from BOVTS, including fellow BA actors Elysia Showan in 2025, Peter Devlin in 2024, Arabella Smith-James and Joseph Stanley in 2023, and Conor Doran in 2022.
Head of our BA Acting course, Joe Leat said:
“We are delighted that Charlotte has been awarded a Lawrence Olivier Bursary. This recognition is richly deserved, reflecting her exceptional attitude and the brilliant way she combines her innate talent with the rigour of training here at BOVTS.”
Charlotte said about her bursary award:
“I feel incredibly grateful to receive such an amazing award. This bursary will make a huge impact on my final year, allowing me to focus on my training fully – I’m feeling very excited for the year ahead!”
Congratulations Charlotte!