Page 40 - The Moretonian 2025

Middle School Show
A Joyful Voyage:

Moana Jr. at

Moreton Hall

By any measure, Moana Jr. is an ambitious
undertaking for a school production. That
the pupils of Moreton Hall Middle School
carried it off with such flair, confidence and
sheer exuberance is something to be quietly
celebrated. Directed with deft assurance by
Mrs Macdonald, the performance conjured
sunshine and ocean spray on a summer evening
in Shropshire.

From the first moments, the atmosphere in the
theatre shifted — the set managed to suggest
vast, rolling seas with an imaginative use of
smoke and light. This was no mere backdrop,
but a character in its own right — alive, fluid,
elemental.

The narrative unfolded with clarity and pace. In
the role of Moana, Lucy delivered a performance
of striking emotional sincerity. There was poise in
her movement, and in her voice, an aching sense
of purpose. Renee’s portrayal of the grandmother
brought gentle comic energy and a touch of
mysticism, never overplayed, always grounded
in warmth. The ensemble, including Teifi, Katie,
Arabella, Polly and Penelope as the ancestors
and the village chief, sang with conviction,
helping to create a credible sense of community
under threat.

The show’s younger performers — particularly
the Remove girls who embodied the sea itself
— lent the production a dreamlike quality.

40 The Moretonian 2025