Stagecoach Performing Arts Bishop’s Stortford students perform at Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End

Bishop’s Stortford teenagers took centre stage when they honoured three unsung heroines in a spectacular showcase of musical theatre in the West End.

The members of Stagecoach Performing Arts Bishop’s Stortford, all aged 14 to 18, joined fellow Stagecoach students from across the country for the special event at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre.

The Stortford youngsters performed the steampunk-inspired Sparks of Innovation, which focused on female inventors Marie Curie, Ada Lovelace and Hedy Lamarr.

With a mainly female cast, they had wanted to create a piece around female empowerment and worked hard for 10 weeks to perfect their performance.

Curie discovered radium and pioneered the X-ray machine, Lovelace was the world’s first computer programmer and Lamarr, as well as being an actress on the silver screen, invented, among other things, frequency hopping which led to the internet and Bluetooth.

The dance pieces began with the young inventors trying to persuade people to listen to their ideas. The students used glowing orbs to represent the women’s ideas and how they were ignored or stolen. They then imagined how powerful things might have been had they not only been listened to but also had each other to lean on.

The piece was expertly choreographed by Stagecoach Bishop’s Stortford manager Jonni Knight and was produced and costumed by principal Miriam Leary-White.

“The students worked on their performance for 10 weeks and performed to an outstanding standard,” said Miriam. “They were all brilliant, so professional and impressive.

“The day was great fun - it was such a wonderful experience to take a piece that we were all so proud of to the West End stage.

“They created a performance piece that I am deeply proud of and I want to shout about them to everyone who will listen.”

Over the past 36 years, more than one million students worldwide have benefited from Stagecoach’s creative programmes.

“The students love their Stagecoach family because it is their safe place and somewhere where they can express themselves and be accepted for who they are,” added Miriam.

“They build confidence, make friends and learn life skills alongside the performing arts.”

For more information about Stagecoach Performing Arts Bishop’s Stortford, visit www.stagecoach.co.uk/bishopsstortford or call Miriam on 07743 356219.