Flint Street Nativity

This production of “Flint Street Nativity” is one of the funniest shows I have seen recently.  Taken from real life stories, this was a show for any season, despite it being about the first Christmas.  The audience were transported back to primary school days, with adults playing 7-year-old children - captivating in itself.  Also having childlike scenery and props worked beautifully.    I also loved the part towards the end where the actors played the children’s parents – this was very effective.

The direction was very good, with well thought out scene changes and continuity for a very well devised script, performed with liveliness and good pace.  The themes embodied within the drama were clear: the frictions within a junior school class due to envy, victimisation, bullying, ostracising and dreamers.  The stories of the home life problems of certain children were clearly linked to the various characters’ brought home the fact that children see their home life as normal, and carry its effects with them wherever they are – which is a sobering thought!

The simple scenery created a realistic primary school setting for the action, complete with a ‘child’ painted sheet backdrop and a bare Christmas tree in need of decorating.  The case with the stick insect was well placed to be seen but not obscuring anyone’s view of the action, while the narrator was sited to the side.  The white board was very effective in forming a frame to the main action, with Mrs Horrocks mysterious cupboard door just off-centre stage.  The second Act saw the introduction of a ‘quiet corner’ with books, paints, swords and first aid kit – a lovely scenic comment on health and safety!  

The music was on cue, with the typical false start, and the pian accompaniment to the carols felt as authentic as the off-key singing and forgetting of words – very difficult to do!  Equally, the lighting – and lack of it! – was well timed and reminiscent of school productions.  The image of Sticky as a shadow image at the close was lovely!  The costumes were suitable and creative: the bar towel used for one of the ‘children’ in place of a tee-towel; the ass with the oversized donkey head and the dressing gown shepherds.   These all worked brilliantly.

The props were excellent, down to the stick insect, the star, the map of Sirius and its constellation, the lambs that changed size and the parent’s programmes at the end being printed on while paper (ours were on black.)

However, it was the performances of the cast that created this memorable story, with such clear characters and personalities played with verve.  Gabriel wants to play Mary, so ostracises her, Star dreams of being an astronaut, like his ‘uncle’, Herod/Joseph who is bullied by know-it-all Mary and dragged around the stage while waving to his parents, and the innkeeper who fancies Mary were all so well played.  Frankincense speaks with a totally believable lisp, the narrator who mangles words and reads with difficulty, and the camel with the hindquarters itch and that sings off-key were so believable. 

Altogether this was a very entertaining evening of schooltime memories – but with a twist.  The production showed clearly how much home situations can affect young children in the way that they relate to their peers,  Also the play showed how parental attitudes are reflected in their children.  It made one think even while laughing out loud at the childish antics of the highly liberated actors.  Yet the audience could all identify with the children portrayed.  This was brilliant! Many congratulations to all involved!

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.