Stagecoach Dorchester

A very warm welcome to Stagecoach Dorchester. For over 17 years, Stagecoach Dorchester has been providing quality part-time training in singing, dancing and acting for children aged 4-18yrs, in the heart of West Dorset. Our venue at the Prince of Wales School provides a safe and secure environment for our children to learn. We are a happy and thriving school and our high expectations of students helps us to achieve fantastic results whilst having fun at the same time. 

Students from Stagecoach Dorchester regularly perform on the professional stage; our members have appeared in the tours of ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, and ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ amongst others. Students have also worked on the West End production of ‘Oliver’, in film, TV and commercials.  Stagecoach Dorchester is where positivity and confidence live.  Come and try it for yourself!



We offer Performing Arts Exams

Principal Rebecca Howden

Your child is in safe hands. All of our Team are Enhanced DBS checked.


Noticeboard

Enrol Now!

New students are always welcome, so why not enrol now for a two week trial? Contact us with any questions or simply fill out the online application form below and process your deposit payment.

Summer Workshop 2024

Come and join us for a fun filled week of performing arts! At the end of the week the children put on a show for their families. Open to non-Stagecoach students too. The deposit is only £30.00 per child and as with all our classes there is a sibling discount. We also have a week at Weymouth College available 5th-9th August.

25th Anniversary Showcase

Stagecoach Dorchester will be 25 years old in 2024 and what can we do to celebrate that? We'll put on a show! Watch this space for details.

Dreamcoat Stars Choir

30 of our students have the fantastic opportunity to appear as the choir alongside stars of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in the touring production of 'Dreamcoat Stars' at Weymouth Pavilion. The performance is on Mother's Day 10th March 2024. Rehearsals are in full swing!

Whole School Presentation

Last term the whole school had presentations on Saturday 2nd December at The Bay Theatre. All students and teachers worked so hard to make this a great show!

West End Performance

20 lucky students performed at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End in November 2023 and what a fantastic show they put on! It was such a great opportunity for our students and their hard work really paid off.

SIX Theatre Trip

We went on another coach trip to the theatre! This time it was for SIX The Musical at Poole Lighthouse on Tuesday 7th November. Everyone had a really fun filled evening!

Hamilton Theatre Trip '25

We have our next theatre trip booked! It's for the hugely successful Hamilton at the Mayflower, Southampton on Monday 31st March 2025. Contact us if you'd like to book on!

LAMDA Acting Exams

We are very pleased to be able to offer the prestigious LAMDA acting exams for our students. If your child is interested in taking these then please sign them up!

Order Your Jazz Shoes

In order to give you the best possible experience and assortment of Jazz shoes, Stagecoach now has its own unique online shoe store which is part of the dancewear specialist - Mydancestore. Simply click the button below and it will take you straight there. Please do follow the supplier’s advice when choosing the shoe size. Happy shopping!

Safety Reassurance

Your child is in safe hands at Stagecoach Dorchester. We have a clear commitment to child protection and the safeguarding of our students is of the highest priority. For the full details please see the link. For any further questions please contact Bec.

Weekly Classes

Early Stages (for ages 4-6 yrs)

Stagecoach Early Stages
Early Stages classes run alongside the main Stagecoach schools, where young people learn skills in each of the three Musical Theatre disciplines of singing, dancing & drama, so it is an easy step when it is time to transfer to the next stage.

(90 minutes each week)

Main Stages (for ages 6-18 yrs)

Stagecoach Main Stages
Main Stages classes are split in three age appropriate groups, where young people learn new skills in each of the complementary Musical Theatre disciplines of singing, dancing & drama. We nurture the shy and apprehensive, until they find their feet and voice, whilst at the same time developing and channelling those with bundles of talent, confidence and energy. We believe in the potential of every child!

(3 hrs each week)

Further Stages (for ages 15+ yrs)

Stagecoach Further Stages
Our advanced musical theatre sessions give talented students the chance to extend their performance skills.  Through in-depth training and master classes, we help students to hone their skills in singing, dancing and acting.  We also give students the confidence to audition for theatre and vocational drama schools (if that is their goal) and make sure they are well prepared for interviews and auditions. 

Fees in accordance with Main Stages.

Holiday Workshops

Themed Children's Parties

Birthdays & Celebrations

We understand that with the increasing demands on parents, juggling the pressures of work and family life, time is of the essence. Therefore Stagecoach Parties provide a way to remove the stress from what should be a day of celebration for everyone and allow you to sit back, relax and let us do all the work! Whether they want to be fairies, pirates or detectives, there is a Stagecoach Party for everyone!

Meet The Team

Principal - Rebecca Howden

Rebecca has all the qualities and experience to head one of the foremost performing arts schools in Weymouth and Wareham. With a BA (Hons) in Performing Arts (Dance) from Middlesex University, she went on to study and gain a PGCE in Secondary Dance from De Montfort University. She then returned to Weymouth to take up the post of Head of Dance at Weymouth College and if that is not enough, Bec also runs her own local Contemporary Dance evening class for adults. Rebecca is proud to offer a full and rounded education, teaching life skills to build confidence and stretch imaginations through singing, acting and dance classes.