Read our latest Blog from Stagecoach Theatre Arts

How the Performing Arts Can Improve Academic Performance

How the Performing Arts Can Improve Academic Performance
A performing arts education doesn't just teach you how to sing, dance and act, in fact it can can help in your academic life as well. In this blog post, we'll explore performing arts classes can improve academic performance and boost children and young people's skills in mainstream education. 

How to Start Your Own Theatre Company

 How to Start Your Own Theatre Company
Thinking of startign your own theatre company? Stagecoach teacher and founder of theatre company Spies Like Us, Ollie Norton-Smith shares the story of how he and his friends started their own theatre company and his advice on what you need to begin your own. 

Top 10 Audition Tips and Advice

Top 10 Audition Tips and Advice
Auditions can be nerve-racking situations but they are usually part of the job when you forge a career in the performing arts. Here are our top ten tips to make you prepare and make the most of any audition, from audition for drama school to landing a role. 

Stagecoach Year Round Up: 2023

Stagecoach Year Round Up: 2023
As we get closer to the New Year, we're sorry to say goodbye to 2023 as it has been a wonderful year here at Stagecoach. In this blog post, we're rounding up all our best moments from the year and sharing what amazing things our students have been up to. Happy New Year from us!

Efa’s Journey: Stagecoach Student and Kids TV Star

Efa’s Journey: Stagecoach Student and Kids TV Star
Stagecoach Pontypridd student Efa recently joined the cast of the second series of Welsh TV channel S4C's Byd Tad-Cu, we caught up with Efa and her parents on what it was like being in a TV show and her experiences as a Stagecoach student. 

Gabby’s Dollhouse Colouring Competition Winner Announcement!

Gabby’s Dollhouse Colouring Competition Winner Announcement!
We recently ran a competition with DreamWorks Animation all themed around their hit Netflix show, Gabby’s Dollhouse. We asked for parents and guardians to send in their children’s own version of Gabby’s best friend by colouring in Pandy Paws. Thank you to everyone who took part, we loved seeing all the imaginative creations. The prize for the winning design was a family weekend away in London with several Gabby’s Dollhouse-inspired activities for the family to enjoy. 

A Super Spring at Stagecoach

A Super Spring at Stagecoach
We've had a busy spring here at Stagecoach and today we're recapping what we've been up to and sharing what we've got coming up over the summer months. Read on to find out what's happening in the Stagecoach world.

Stagecoach Parent Sarah Walden Tells Us About Her New Book, All the World’s a Stage

Stagecoach Parent Sarah Walden Tells Us About Her New Book, All the World’s a Stage
All the World’s a Stage is a new book by Sarah Walden and illustrated by Hannah Li. The book is a celebration of the value of creativity and details all you need to know about the worlds of theatre, TV and film in a fun and colourful format. Sarah is the Managing Director at Noodle Juice, a content and publishing company specialising in children’s books and she was inspired to write All the World’s a Stage by her daughter, Meg’s experience as a student at Stagecoach Banbury. 

Looking Back at 2022

Looking Back at 2022
We're wishing everyone a happy New Year! But, before we move on to 2023 we want to take a look back at all the exciting things that happened at Stagecoach over the past week. Let's recap. 

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Writing Competition Winner Announcement!

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Writing Competition Winner Announcement!
The winner announcement is here! We're so excited to share the story that won our Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile writing competition, it's a lovely story about friendship and the power of music. Have the story in full and find out a little bit about our winner on the blog. 

Summer Showcase 2023 Show Reveal...

Summer Showcase 2023 Show Reveal...
We are so excited to reveal next year's Summer Showcase production will be... drum roll please... it's the one that you want... Grease! 

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Children’s Writing Competition and Activity Sheets

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Children’s Writing Competition and Activity Sheets
We’re so excited to have partnered with Sony on their new film Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile! To celebrate this new musical adventure, we’re running a children’s writing competition and we've got some activity sheets to get your children in the mood for the movie. 

The Amazing Edie Eckhart by Rosie Jones Activity Sheets

The Amazing Edie Eckhart by Rosie Jones Activity Sheets
We’re thrilled to be spreading the word about a stagey new book series called The Amazing Edie Eckhart by Rosie Jones (recommended reading age 8/9+). We’ve got some activity sheets for you to enjoy.

What’s It Like Being Part of a Stagecoach Performance?

What’s It Like Being Part of a Stagecoach Performance?

We were thrilled to be joined by Maddie and Emily, two Further Stages students from Stagecoach Woking, for work experience recently. Whilst they were getting a taste of office life, Maddie wrote about what it’s like being in a Stagecoach performance.

A Day in the Life of Stagecoach Student

A Day in the Life of Stagecoach Student

We were recently joined by Emily and Maddie, Further Stages student from Stagecoach Woking for a week of work experience. Whilst with us, Emily wrote about a day in the life of a Further Stages student. Read on to find out what she does in her classes and her favourite thing about Stagecoach. 

Stagecoach Wokingham Student Harry on Performing as Jamie New, Pride and The Changes They’d Like to See in the Performing Arts

Stagecoach Wokingham Student Harry on Performing as Jamie New, Pride and The Changes They’d Like to See in the Performing Arts

With Pride month here, we were thrilled to interview one of our students about what Pride means to them. Alongside other Stagecoach students, Stagecoach Wokingham students wowed us with their performance of songs from Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Shaftesbury Theatre Showcase back in March. Playing the iconic role of Jamie was Harry but it wasn’t just Jamie New that Harry was embodying when they were up on the West End stage.

Jobs in the Performing Arts for Non-Performers

Jobs in the Performing Arts for Non-Performers

Whether you love performing or not, a career just outside the limelight but still within the performing arts industry could be for you. Read on to discover what roles there are for non-performers in the industry. 

Anything Goes Steams Across the UK

Anything Goes Steams Across the UK

All aboard! The hit musical extravaganza, Anything Goes, is back and on tour. Sailing around the UK before returning to London’s Barbican Theatre in June. We can’t wait to catch a performance of this classic and you can find out all about the show as we do a deep dive into what the cast and team behind Anything Goes have to say about the show.  

What we got up to in March: Stagecoach Events

What we got up to in March: Stagecoach Events

March has been jam-packed at Stagecoach. We’ve seen events happening across the UK and our Canadian schools are beginning to head back to in-person classes. This month saw Canadian school, Milton and Burlington, run their first camp since 2019 and it was a resounding success.


Top Ten Female Roles in Musical Theatre

Top Ten Female Roles in Musical Theatre

With International Women's Day right around the corner, we've been listening to songs performed by some of the greatest female characters from musicals. Take a look at our picks of the top ten female roles from musicals in shows either running in the West End now or currently touring around the UK. 

What to Watch with Kids: Films Inspired By Theatre

What to Watch with Kids: Films Inspired By Theatre

There are so many different theatre-inspired movies and professionally-filmed productions you can watch at home, the options seem almost endless! To help you pick what to watch with your children, we've pulled together some of our top recommendations from several streaming services. 

Summer Showcase 2021 The Wizard of Oz

Summer Showcase 2021 The Wizard of Oz

This summer our students followed the yellow brick road all the way to Twickenham to perform the show The Wizard of Oz!

Stagecoach’s flagship Summer Showcase event took place at St Mary’s in Twickenham with 66 Stagecoach students from across the UK and our schools in Malta. 

16 Year Stagecoach Journey

16 Year Stagecoach Journey
Lizzie has been a Stagecoach student for 16 years. We spoke to her about her journey at Stagecoach from a 4 year old Early Stages student right up to being a teacher for her school and other Stagecoach schools. We covered her highlights during this time as well as what skills she has learned over the years. Lizzie is moving onto the next phase of her performing arts training as she attends university in the Autumn. We also spoke to Lizzie's twin sister Megan, who had returned to Stagecoach in 2015 to join her sister. 

Stagecoach Students Return to Shaftesbury Theatre

Stagecoach Students Return to Shaftesbury Theatre

On 30th May 2021, 14 months after the Shaftesbury Theatre was forced to close due to the COVID pandemic, students from 11 Stagecoach schools will be returning to the theatre for one night only.

 

 

Performing arts - a powerful force at the forefront of bringing young people back together

Performing arts - a powerful force at the forefront of bringing young people back together

Schools are back! Yay, you shout as you sink into the sofa with a cup of coffee and a bucketful of relief.  But as ever, this is a whole new phase of ‘normality’. 

Unfortunately there is often a certain rhetoric used in education that we find to be unhelpful, the latest of which is the emphasis on the need to 'catch up'. Yet another burden of expectations and pressures are heaped on young people, just at the time when ‘recovery’ should mean a focus on holistic development and wellbeing.

Dr Ally Daubney highlights a number of reasons why the performing arts are a powerful force that should be at the forefront of bringing young people back together in a meaningful and healthy way.

A guide to caring for your child's mental health during a lockdown

A guide to caring for your child's mental health during a lockdown
With the UK currently in its third national lockdown, there's no better time to consider the potential impact on your child's mental wellbeing.
 
Some children have enjoyed being off school during the lockdown. Others, however,  have really struggled, especially not being able to socialise with their friends. 
 
As parents or guardians, we can put steps in place to support children to help them cope with the issues they face. Here are four key ways to protect your child's mental health during this period of lockdown.

Stagecoach students perform at 40th anniversary of BBC’s Children in Need

Stagecoach students perform at 40th anniversary of BBC’s Children in Need

Twelve students from Stagecoach Borehamwood and Stagecoach Stanmore took part in the 40th anniversary of BBC’s Children in Need. On Friday, 13th November the students performed Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’, as a socially distanced London choir in the BBC Elstree studio. Their singing could be heard throughout the film screen on the night!

Benefits of the online learning

Benefits of the online learning

Online learning has been a staple for most children in 2020. With the UK  back into lockdown, we looked at the advantages of online learning through pre-recorded and live face-to-face classes. Take a look at the top five advantages of online learning. 

Stagecoach Performing Arts launches stagecoachathome.com

Stagecoach Performing Arts launches stagecoachathome.com

Stagecoach students around the world were given access to the free bitesize videos that they could work through alongside their routine of home schooling.  Due to the positive feedback from parents and students, Stagecoach extended its video content to non-Stagecoach students and launched stagecoachathome Online Learning Studio. The new Stagecoach website provides quality performing arts education for young people aged 4 - 18 years online. 

Who wants to be a volunteer?

Who wants to be a volunteer?

If you are passionate about theatre and really enjoy meeting people, volunteering could be for you! 

Stagecoach Students at Disney's Behind The Magic 2020

Stagecoach Students at Disney's Behind The Magic 2020

Stagecoach students have just returned from an action-packed weekend at Behind The Magic in Disneyland Paris

 
The unique ‘Behind The Magic’ programme is designed to give each student an exciting and educationally valuable glimpse into Disney's world of professional entertainment.

Our Charity Partner YoungMinds

Our Charity Partner YoungMinds

We are proud to be continuing our support of our charity partner YoungMinds. YoungMinds are the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people's mental health.

Charity Gala featuring the Creative Courage For Life Awards in support of YoungMinds

Charity Gala featuring the Creative Courage For Life Awards in support of YoungMinds

On 1st December 2019, we are returning to Shaftesbury Theatre for our sixth annual Charity Gala where we celebrate the collective talent from within the Stagecoach Performing Arts community, and in support of our nominated charity of the year, YoungMinds. For the second consecutive year, the Charity Gala will feature the Creative Courage for Life Awards.

Stagecoach Students return to The Shaftesbury Theatre

Stagecoach Students return to The Shaftesbury Theatre

Throughout the year, students from our schools are given the amazing opportunity to perform at some of the UK's most famous theatres.  This year, eight of our schools are joining us to perform at The Shaftesbury Theatre. 

Stagecoach Students return to perform at The Adelphi Theatre

Stagecoach Students return to perform at The Adelphi Theatre

Throughout the year, students from our schools are given the amazing opportunity to perform at some of the UK’s most famous theatres.  This year, 32 of our schools are joining us to tread the boards at London’s Adelphi Theatre. 

A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg - Who Does What?

A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg - Who Does What?
We spoke to the technical stage manager and the technical manager on the acclaimed production of A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, which has been at the Trafalgar Studio Theatre in London since 20 September.

Six-Year-Old Stagecoach Student In Award Winning Film

Six-Year-Old Stagecoach Student In Award Winning Film
Earlier this year a six-year-old Alexander-James (A.J.) Houghton from Stagecoach Teddington and Stagecoach Talent Agency had the incredible opportunity to film with Nexflix in the much anticipated Bandersnatch.

5 Reasons Why Performing Arts Is Important In Children’s Development

5 Reasons Why Performing Arts Is Important In Children’s Development
In recent years, the lack of funding in education has seen creative subjects across the country being cut for more emphasis on core academic subjects. However, studies have shown that children who take part in performing arts are not only more confident, but they often perform better in core subjects such as Science and English.

The Surrey Hills came alive with ‘The Sound of Music’

The Surrey Hills came alive with ‘The Sound of Music’

This summer, the Surrey Hills came alive with ‘The Sound of Music’, thanks to a performance by Stagecoach Performing Arts students. 

Stagecoach’s Summer Showcase event took place at the famous Rose Theatre in Kingston on 16th and 17th August with around 80 Stagecoach Students from across the globe entertaining audiences with a rendition of the much-loved musical.

Magic at Disneyland Paris

Magic at Disneyland Paris
Mickey ears at the ready!  We are still on cloud nine from attending Disney's 'Dance the Dream' at the end of July at Disneyland Paris. Over 2000 Principals, students, and their families joined us. Over 600 students from 29 schools performed in this enchanting setting. 

Developing Resilience in your Child

Developing Resilience in your Child
Transitioning from Primary school to Secondary school, or from one year to another can have its challenges for your child.

Dr Alison Daubney, our guest blogger writes about how to help your child feel more confident in these big life transitions.

Nominees announced for The Stage Debut Awards

Nominees announced for The Stage Debut Awards
Trafalgar Entertainment and Stagecoach Performing Arts are proud to be supporting The Stage Debut Awards 2019. The award for Child Performer of the Year is sponsored by Stagecoach Performing Arts. This year, Trafalgar Entertainment is sponsoring the award for Best Composer or Lyricist.

The shortlist of nominees has now been revealed. Winners will be announced at The Stage Debut Awards at The Brewery, London on Sunday 15 September.

Meet Sebastian Croft

Meet Sebastian Croft
Sebastian Croft, 18, is starring in Horrible Histories: the Movie, which opens across the country Friday 26 July. He plays Atti, a clever Roman teenager who makes the mistake of annoying Emperor Nero and, as punishment, gets sent to Britain.

Woking Homecoming for Howard and Rosemary

Woking Homecoming for Howard and Rosemary
Two theatre entrepreneurs who have built their lives in the entertainment industry have relocated part of their business from West Byfleet to Woking town centre as part of their new company’s expansion.

As part of the move, Stagecoach Performing Arts has also relocated its Headquarters from Walton-on-Thames to the shared Trafalgar Entertainment office at Export House. The move also brings new employment prospects with plans for a call centre and new jobs already being recruited.

From Stagecoach parent to Principal

From Stagecoach parent to Principal
When the arrival of her children meant that Jennie Graham-Roberts had to reconsider her career, Stagecoach Performing Arts presented itself as a worthy option.

“Stagecoach has been a monumental part of all of our lives. Both of my children attended classes when they were younger, with my son starring in shows and going on to study Drama for A-Level, and my daughter attending classes right up until 18. They are now all grown up and attending university, but I believe that Stagecoach has had an impact on who they have become today.”

Why 'Creative Courage For Life' Is So Important

Why 'Creative Courage For Life' Is So Important
Every child has potential but the potential is nothing unless it is realised. It is important to teach children to unleash their potential and find their way on the stage of life...

Students star in Ordeal by Innocence

Students star in Ordeal by Innocence
Hayden, eight, has been going to Stagecoach Edinburgh since she was four. Luke aged nine also starred in the show and attends Stagecoach Edinburgh with Hayden. They won their first-ever acting role in the BBC TV series Ordeal by Innocence, based on an Agatha Christie book, which aired this spring. They both told us about their experiences of working on a BBC Drama. 

Kimberley's Stagecoach Journey : From Student to Principal

Kimberley's Stagecoach Journey : From Student to Principal
Kimberley started at Stagecoach Bury when she was 9 years old. She loved it so much that she went on to become an Early Stages Assistant, a Stagecoach Teacher and took the plunge and became a Principal of Stagecoach Bolton. Plus Kimberley is also celebrating her 30th birthday in the same year Stagecoach turns 30, so double the celebrations!

Read on to see Kimberley's Stagecoach journey. 

Carrie & David Grant Talk to Stagecoach

Carrie & David Grant Talk to Stagecoach
Carrie and David Grant – probably the UK’s best-known vocal coaches – have teamed up with Stagecoach! At the Teacherfest day for Principals, they shared inspiration for ways to get everyone involved – and they hope to work with students in the future…

From Student To Teacher

From Student To Teacher
What I adore most about this transition from pupil to teacher is that no matter what age or location, the Stagecoach value remains the same.
By Naomi Amelia Moore

Miriam's Stagecoach Journey : From Student to Principal

Miriam's Stagecoach Journey : From Student to Principal
Miriam started at Stagecoach Harpenden when she was 11 years old. She then went on to teach at different Stagecoach schools and now runs Stagecoach Bishops Stortford. 

Read on to see Miriam's Stagecoach journey. 

Exam Stress? Don't let your child give up their creative activities for revision

Exam Stress? Don't let your child give up their creative activities for revision
Dr Alison Daubney, our guest blooger and Educational Psychology Researcher says:

"The mental stress relief of taking your children out of te pressure cooker of exams study to explore creatively and freely can do more to enhance their exam performance than endlessly pressing away with more study hours." 

Read on for the full blog.

"I took part in the Aylesbury Regional Event"

"I took part in the Aylesbury Regional Event"

Annabelle, 11, from Stagecoach Aylesbury, shares her memories of a day performing at the Waterside Theatre for a Stagecoach Regional event run by Head Office.

Read on for Annabelle's full blog...

Hayley's Stagecoach Journey : From Student to Principal

Hayley's Stagecoach Journey : From Student to Principal
"16 years ago my Stagecoach journey started when I joined as a student. Back then I remember being really nervous on my first day, but within minutes felt totally at home. So much so that I went and got qualified and returned as a teacher, then became Principal of Stagecoach Potters Bar which still runs at the venue every Saturday".

Read more to watch Hayley's Stagecoach journey. 

Nick's Stagecoach Student to Principal Journey

Nick's Stagecoach Student to Principal Journey
"I am the Principal at Stagecoach Doncaster, Sheffield Beighton and Rotherham. I was a student at Stagecoach, then became a teacher, then a Principal… and I love it".

Read more to watch Nick's video. 

Enhancing mental wellbeing through the performing arts

Enhancing mental wellbeing through the performing arts
We live in an age where technology permeates our lives. For young people particularly, social media is an increasingly important form of communication. Used positively, it enhances social and emotional development.  Yet, with one in ten children suffering some form of mental health issue at any one time, most commonly anxiety, depression, self-harm and eating disorders, there is a requirement for all people working with children to understand the role of many different causes and manifestations of mental health. This article considers one area of mental health challenge – the role of social media - and explores ways in which positive engagement in performing arts can be beneficial. 

First Day Nerves

First Day Nerves
Read our latest blog written by Stagecoach parent Sarah Jones.