Stagecoach Chorley: nurturing the North West’s stage and screen stars of tomorrow

Founded in 1988, Stagecoach is the UK’s largest network of extra-curricular performing arts schools, with an enrolment of 55,000 students across their 3,000 branches. And, while Stagecoach has a global presence in far-flung locations such as Canada, Germany, Malta, Spain, Gibraltar, and Australia, it’s also closer to home, too.

Stagecoach Chorley is run by husband-and-wife Kate and David Parkinson, who embody the school’s mantra of ‘Creative Courage for Life’. With their staff of 25 catering for kids aged between four and 18, the school nurtures talent, expands young imaginations, and builds performers’ confidence.

“I was interested in the performing arts from a young age - my auntie Claire Moore performs on the West End, so I always wanted to go into performing,” says Bolton-born Kate, who studied drama at school and went on to do music at university. “I always loved that you could go and be somebody else but, at the same time, really be yourself.

“I don’t think there are other areas of life which let you be that creative, so performing arts is unique on that front,” adds Kate, 39, who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2014 before being given the all-clear following multiple ops and six months of chemo. “It’s important for kids to have that chance to express themselves.

“It frustrates me that it’s not a large part of the UK national curriculum because kids want to be creative in a social environment and performing arts should be accessible for everybody,” she says. “You see a huge difference once kids get involved. All our 18-year-olds are going to drama school, which is great. They’ll do amazing things and end up on the West End.

“But when kids come to me and say ‘I read out loud in class for the first time today’ or when parents and teachers notice a difference in their kids, that’s just as powerful,” she continues, having taught at the school for two decades. “That’s an amazing thing to be a part of and it gives me a lot of pride. It’s why I do the job.”

Having turned to Zoom during lockdown, Stagecoach Chorley has since returned with a vengeance, doubling in size. A handful of its members also recently took part in a global collaboration to put on four performances of ‘The Addams Family’ musical at The Beck Theatre in Hayes alongside fellow international Stagecoach students.

“I love that we’re a triple threat, teaching drama, singing, and dancing all under one roof whilst still having a real family ethos,” says Kate. “It’s all about equal opportunities: we adapt scripts for shows so that everyone has a similar-sized part and every student gets to shine on stage. And the Hayes performances were absolutely outstanding.

“The level of professionalism was amazing,” she adds. “Seeing the kids doing what they do best to a professional standard was just incredible.”