31/03/2023
Surrey school students deliver inspiring Disney performance
Lower School students, teachers and parents at ACS International School Cobham put on a dazzling performance of Moana; a musical theatre adaptation of the 2016 Disney animated film, bringing the adventures of Moana and her journey to life onstage.
Every year, ACS Cobham produces professional-quality theatre productions in its 500 seat state-of-the-art auditorium. This week, the school came together to produce a show-stopping performance, which emphasised the importance of fighting for what we believe is right.
The Moana cast featured nearly 70 students from Grades 1 – 5, with direction led by ACS staff. Behind the scenes, parents, teachers and other members of the school community ran stage management and lighting, and assisted with set design, costume design and hair and makeup.
Some of the Lower School cast members commented:
My favourite part is performing because you have worked so hard and then you can finally do it” and “I will remember that in Moana we made a loving school community”.
ACS Cobham is home to over 60 different nationalities and the school is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive community. Moana was chosen because of the many opportunities available for each child to perform and for its storyline, which champions international-mindedness, self-belief and perseverance.
Mrs Graver, Performing Arts Teacher at ACS Cobham and Co-Director of Moana, explains:
Moana is brilliant because it emphasises so many important values, including being true to yourself – it’s all about a strong female lead who takes the initiative to save her community, which is an inspiring message for our students.”
Mrs Graver adds:
Putting a production together takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but seeing the many skills that our students develop, and how excited they are to perform, makes it all worthwhile. Performances such as this can make a huge difference to our students lives, and the experience is something that will hopefully stay with them for a long time. It is inspiring for us to see those who started in our Lower School productions progress onto bigger and better things.”
ACS Cobham has also invited 250 students from local partner schools to attend the opening night of the production: Esher Church Primary, West Ashtead Primary, Oakfield Junior, St Pauls Catholic Primary School and Fetcham Infant School.
Robyne Simpson, Partnerships Manager at ACS International Schools, says:
The reciprocal relationship we have with our partner schools means that our Lower School students will not only have the opportunity to showcase their performance to a large audience from the school community, but will also continue to involve and inspire the local community and our partner schools.”