Mcavoy Fights For School

Scottish actor JAMES McAVOY is leading the fight to save an acting school from closure.

The Atonement star graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD), along with other Scottish thespians including Robert Carlyle, Alan Cumming and Dr. Who's David Tennant.

But the academy is set to close unless it can plug a $1.2 million (GBP600,000) funding gap - and McAvoy has now written an open letter to the country's government urging officials to keep Scotland's premiere acting institution open.

He writes in the letter: "The RSAMD is the only one of its kind in Scotland and, without it our country's future teachers, actors, musicians and technical professionals would be forced to go south of the border (to England).

"Because of the RSAMD, I'm a product not only of Scotland but of Scottish training. That's something I'm proud of, and I hope the Scottish government see fit to help save the future of this national treasure."