Give rebranded Actors Centre back to actors, say Mark Rylance and others

Mark Rylance is among those backing the Actor at the Centre campaign, calling for reinstatement of regular classes and workshops Photograph: Eamonn M McCormack/Getty Images

For more than 40 years it was a place where actors – from legendary stars to those struggling for a first break – could socialise, network and learn new skills. Among its patrons and members were Laurence Olivier, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Alec Guinness, Anthony Hopkins, Alan Bates and Julie Walters.

But last November, the Actors Centre – a registered charity in the heart of London’s West End – was “rebranded” by its new chief executive, Amanda Davey. It is now the Seven Dials Playhouse, a 100-seat theatre that describes itself as “truly inclusive … relevant, dynamic and exciting”.