Two Maltese performers have secured leading roles in one of London's hottest West End musicals.

Damian Buhagiar.

Sarah Naudi and Damian Buhagiar will both play leading roles in Olivier and Tony Award-winning musical In The Heights. The musical, which has just extended its London run at the King's Cross Theatre for a third and final time, is now expected to run until January 2017.

Both performers live in the UK and completed their professional performance training there. But their theatre training began at the Stagecoach Theatre Arts School in Malta.

“Stagecoach will always hold a very special place in my heart because it’s where it all began,” says Ms Naudi, who was part of the original London cast for In The Heights and was recently appointed the lead as ‘Vanessa’.

“Principal Edward Mercieca and his team enabled Maltese children to explore the world of musical theatre in the 2000s, back when there were very limited opportunities on the island, and I owe a lot to them."

Meanwhile, Mr Buhagiar returns to the production as ‘Sonny’, having first played the role in 2014. He moved to the UK six years ago to study at the Tring School for the Performing Arts and later completed his BA (Hons) at the Arts Educational School.

“I wouldn’t have done any of that if I hadn’t been pushed towards my dreams at Stagecoach Malta,” he says. “I still miss my time there as it was such a fantastic starting point, and served as my introduction to the incredible world of musical theatre."

Stagecoach Malta was launched in 1997 by Edward and Marika Mercieca. It provides training to children and adults in drama, singing and dance at a variety of centres around the Maltese Islands. Many of the school’s students have gone on to achieve excellent results, both in the theatrical world and beyond it.

“It is absolutely thrilling for us to see two of our past students excel on London’s West End, as that really is something to be proud of," said Edward Mercieca, principal for Stagecoach Theatre Arts School (Malta). "Both Sarah and Damian have shown their incredible talent and dedication by achieving this."

“However, we are equally pleased when parents tell us that their children have gained confidence since starting Stagecoach, or when the students themselves detail how skills picked up at Stagecoach have helped them in other aspects of their lives, such as when making presentations in class or going for a job interview," Mr Mercieca said.