Hagley Theatre Company opened in 1988 under the artistic direction of Sam Beveridge, and in 1991, Cameron Mattox was appointed the school director. Under Mattox, the school consolidated its purpose as a production company. It aimed to offer a bridge course between secondary and tertiary levels of theatre study and prepare students to apply for the leading drama schools in Auckland and Wellington. During this period, HTC established itself at the Open Stage Theatre at Hagley College, and in 2020, the building was decommissioned for the construction of a new flexible performing arts facility. HTC moved to a satellite location at Champion Street and returned to Hagley College be located at the newly constructed Auripo building at Hagley College, a brand-new performing arts space dedicated to teaching and learning at the heart of central Ōtautahi Christchurch. In 2024, Dr Pedro Ilgenfritz was appointed the new artistic director, and the school shifted to a new teaching format, curriculum, and direction, emphasizing acting training and theatre creation, and was renamed Hagley Theatre School.