The Haileybury Society is saddened to learn of the death of David Edward Macdonald Sprigg (E 71), who has died on 13th July 2021, aged 63.

A passion for the arts…

David’s early career was in banking and he was a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers. However, his passions lay elsewhere and, in 1988, he founded Stagecoach Theatre Arts with the aim of helping youngsters learn to sing, dance and act in order to blossom into confident, well-rounded individuals by discovering hidden talents.

Beginning with three schools in Surrey, Stagecoach today operates in 600 schools worldwide, having worked with over a million youngsters. By the time he retired, after 25 years as Managing Director, Stagecoach had grown to being listed on the London Stock Exchange, operating in 12 countries, with 44,000 students attending each week and over 2,000 staff involved.

In an interview with Air Gun Magazine, David outlined his driving passion for Stagecoach and his philosophy behind business, saying “It taught me the importance of having people totally committed to, and passionate about, the business and their students; the importance of marketing – if mother has never heard of you she cannot enrol her child – and simple and effective admin systems that allow the staff to focus on the students, not administration.”

A passion for shooting…

As hinted above, David was a passionate marksman; his love of shooting began following a birthday gift of a Webley Junior .177 air rifle when he was just eight years old. Shooting Smallbore for Haileybury in 1972 and part of the VIII the following year, David’s passion for the sport continued to grow throughout his life – both competitively and for fun.

David Sprigg (E 71), founder of Stagecoach Theatre Arts

(Above: David with shooting trophies)

He was Surrey County Lightweight Sporting Rifle Captain and an NSRA qualified Club Instructor in several shooting disciplines; he also played a leading role with Jeanette Lievers in co-founding the Target Shooting School, intending to replicate the success of Stagecoach in engendering passion for the sport amongst youth. He was also a member of the National Rifle Association, National Smallbore Rifle Association, the British Pistol Club, Bookham Rifle Club, Surbiton Postal Rifle Club, Addiscombe Rifle Club and South East Essex Pistol and Rifle Club.

Described by his Edmonstonian contemporary Tim Nicholson (E 71) as “a nice, slightly quirky guy who was into shooting”, David’s lasting legacy is clearly the impact his inspiration has had on that of many thousands of youngsters who have benefited from his own passions. While his life was sadly cut short by cancer, his legacy lives on in the deeds of others seeking to find their own particular way forward by exploiting their hidden talents.