The Drama MOB, a Manchester-based drama school and talent agency, has gained national attention after one of its pupils, Owen Cooper, achieved international fame. The 16-year-old from Warrington made his professional debut in Netflix’s Adolescence, a single-shot drama about the influence of the manosphere on teenage boys. He has since become the youngest ever winner of acting awards at the Golden Globes, SAG-AFTRA Awards, and Bafta TV Awards.
Cooper attended the same weekly classes that still run in a community centre in Gatley, Stockport. Founder and teacher Esther Morgan described him as a “very focused” pupil who “was up for a laugh as well”. Tina O’Brien, co-founder and long-time Coronation Street actor, noted that Cooper’s parents were supportive, which she said was “massive” for a young actor. In his Golden Globes acceptance speech, Cooper recalled being “the only boy there, it was embarrassing, but I got through it”.
The school was set up by Morgan and O’Brien, who have been friends since age 11. O’Brien has played Sarah Louise Platt on Coronation Street since 1999, and Morgan previously taught drama at primary school. They started with one class in Didsbury in January 2013, attracting seven children. Now they run 29 classes across the region with nearly 600 pupils each week. Their casting agency, launched in 2015, has helped many young actors find professional work.
