Stagecoach Stourbridge students create magical ‘Madness’ at The Shaftesbury Theatre

The enthused students took part in a tough audition process and after only eight rehearsals the selected troupe took to the stage to perform a dramatic medley of Madness songs from the musical ‘Our House’ put together by Principal Hayley Thompson and teacher Kerrie Jones.

The children loved taking part in a technical rehearsal, full dress rehearsal, professional headshot session and took to the stage to wow a jam-packed house with their infectious energy, characterisation and passion. The piece was a non-stop all singing, all dancing extravaganza showcasing Stagecoach Stourbridge student’s unbelievable levels of dedication and commitment.

Principal Hayley and her husband Andy Southall only took over Stagecoach three years ago and in the space of three years, have gone from 60 students to over 200 providing the children with so many incredible opportunities from performing in Disneyland Paris and the West End, to turning Wordsley’s School Hall into an all singing and all dance Jazz Club and holding a full blown Summer Festival.

Principal Hayley is so proud of her dedicated troupe:

‘The standard of the piece that we the children delivered on the day of the West End performance was more incredible than I could have ever imagined and the children's pure love and dedication to the arts was overwhelming to see. We are so proud of them and would love for their success to be shared widely. The audience feedback was incredible and so overwhelming, we are blown away with the response.’

Principal Hayley has a strong vision for Stagecoach Stourbridge and its special place in the community:

‘Stagecoach is so special because it is a home for everyone with a passion for arts. We provide so many different opportunities that appeal to all our students regardless of their reasons for attending classes. Some children come for confidence building, to make new friends, to learn a new skill. Whereas some children attend sessions to help train and prepare them for further Musical theatre training with a goal of one day performing or teaching. No matter what our students' reasons are, we find a way to cater to all their needs through our weekly sessions and extra opportunities.’

With a network of over 60,000 students and more than 3,000 extra-curricular Performing Arts Schools worldwide, Stagecoach aims to make a difference in its students’ lives by teaching Creative Courage for Life and many children have gone on to study and work in Performing Arts from blockbuster films to countless roles in local theatre productions.

Stagecoach Stourbridge is now taking on applications for new starters for their January Term, Two-Week trials can be booked via their website.

For more information about Stagecoach Stourbridge email [email protected], visit www.stagecoach.co.uk/lstourbridge or call Principal Hayley Thompson on 07976733491.