Stagecoach Story

You know what they say, Stagecoach wasn’t built in a day! Over the years since our story began with a simple performing arts class in Surrey, we’ve seen over one million students join our classes and we have a presence in eight countries across the world, all the way from Perth, Scotland to Perth, Australia! In the past three decades (and a bit), we have made so many amazing memories at Stagecoach so click through to discover our Stagecoach story.

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Our Beginnings

Inspiring Creative Courage for Life Since 1988

Frustrated with juggling multiple performing arts classes for her son, Stephanie Manuel had a vision: one place where kids could sing, dance, and act under one roof. Together with David Sprigg, she made it happen—Stagecoach was born!

From the start, it wasn’t just about performance; it was about confidence. Parents saw the impact, and soon, Stagecoach schools spread across the UK.

First Summer Showcase

Our annual Summer Showcase started way back in ’91

Originally launched in 1991 as “Easy Stages,” the Summer Showcase was created to bring together students from multiple UK Stagecoach schools for one collaborative performance. Over the years, it has evolved into a highly anticipated full-scale musical production, with recent shows including Grease, The Addams Family, and Bring It On: The Musical.

Today, Canadian Stagecoach students have the exciting opportunity to apply and audition for this two-week immersive experience. Selected students take part in an intensive rehearsal process before performing in a professionally staged musical.

We’re a franchise

We entered the world of franchising in 1994

You may or may not know that Stagecoach operates as a franchise. This means our school Principals are the owners of their businesses. They are all part of our big Stagecoach community and brand, but they also run their school/s themselves. This move towards becoming a franchise business has been a great one for Stagecoach as it has enabled us to bring our classes to even more children and young people around the world.

Then, we went global!

We’re in the UK, Malta, Germany, Spain, Gibraltar, Australia, and Lithuania

Becoming a franchise allowed Stagecoach to expand globally and quickly! Stagecoach Canada launched in 2011, followed by the opening of many more franchises across the country and around the world in the years that followed. Today, Stagecoach schools continue to operate and thrive internationally

First Disney Dance the Dream

Magical experiences at Disneyland Paris

We love taking groups of students to Disneyland Paris for various events throughout the year and our iconic Dance the Dream event was launched in 2013! Canadian students attended the event for the first time in 2025!

First Canadian Showcase

In 2016, we launched our First Canadian Showcase!

Our Canadian Summer Showcase has become a highlight for Stagecoach students across the country, bringing together passionate performers for an unforgettable theatre experience.

In 2026, we proudly celebrated 10 years of the Canadian Showcase, marking a decade of incredible productions, lasting friendships and unforgettable moments on stage.

Time for a new look

We rebranded in 2017

By the time we reached 2017, it was time for a change. So, this was when we shared a new look for our brand. We waved goodbye to our old logo featuring a very literal stagecoach and welcomed in our snazzy new logo featuring the uplight and shield design that you will see in use today. This is also when we introduced our new brand message and mantra of ‘Creative Courage for Life’!

We’re Guinness World Record Holders!

We went all out for our 30th birthday

Stagecoach holds the record for the largest simultaneous performance of one show (multiple location) when 73 schools from the UK, Germany and Canada all delivered a performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the same time!

Who Owns Stagecoach Performing Arts Now?

Part of the Trafalgar Entertainment Family

We passed into new ownership in 2018 when Stagecoach was acquired by Trafalgar Entertainment. This was an exciting move for Stagecoach as Trafalgar Entertainment are a leading arts and entertainment brand with a range of entertainment businesses under one umbrella.