Nativity! The Musical

Congleton Amateur Youth Theatre made a welcome return to the Daneside for their festive offering of ‘Nativity! The Musical’, which was directed by Will Vickers. The direction was good, with good stage positions and movement. The cast were all confident in the direction that Will had given them. There were some lovely directorial choices throughout, including the young versions of Mr Maddens, Gordon Shakespeare and Jennifer Lore bursting out of the presents at the beginning of the production, and using the giant present as a desk and chair for different moments. The staging of the Nativity was good, with the parents coming through the auditorium as if they were entering the cathedral. The static set was impressive and gave the audience a Nativity feel with stars adorning it. The set of double doors as part of the structure enabled another entrance. The stage crew also got involved in the festive fun, wearing elf costumes for the scene changes. The costumes were very good throughout, especially for the Nativity sequence, with familiar costumes from the film, such as the Angels and Stars.

The musical director for this production was Ben Evans-Clarke. The band brought to life the well-known songs from the film, and the cast delivered them well. There were a few moments where some of the cast came in early in some of the songs, but Ben did well to get them back on track.

The choreographer for ‘Nativity! The Musical’ was Will Vickers. The choreography was well thought of and performed well by the entire cast. It was fun and energetic, with hints of the choreography from the film.

Lighting and sound was very good throughout. The sound balance between cast and band was good. Everything could be heard. The lighting used was great, with lots of colours used. The movers for the helicopter really made you feel that a helicopter was landing.

Harry Gill did very well as Mr Maddens. This is a difficult role to play, as you could play it as a very one dimensional grumpy man, but Harry did well to add texture to the character. There were some lovely lighter moments of the character that Harry found, especially when working with the younger cast. Harry’s vocals were very good and he delivered his musical numbers well.

Connor Timmis was very funny as the lovable Mr Poppy. He scooted his way on to the stage and the audience were instantly hooked. Connor’s vocal delivery was good and similarly to Harry, Connor found softer moments in the character. The scene with Junior Dale when Mr Poppy is saying goodbye could thaw even the iciest of hearts!

Charlie House had a great air of authority as Gordon Shakespeare. He did well with the rivalry between Mr Maddens, and played the jealousy of Hollywood coming very well. It was a believable performance. Charlie worked well with the rest of the cast, especially the Oakmoor children.

Maddie Wrench did well as Jennifer Lore. There was a believable relationship built between Maddie and Harry. She was able to show the different sides of Jennifer throughout convincingly.

Alice Maddocks was well cast as Mrs Bevan. Alice really got into the character as the sympathetic head teacher, adding some nice pathos to the production. Her retirement speech was executed well and really came from the heart.

James Mills was as camp as Christmas as Patrick Burns, the local theatre critic! The whole characterisation from James was very funny. An excellent supporting performance.

Taylor Dakin did well as the Mayor. He created a believable character, and was able to show the Mayor’s affection for Mrs Bevan well. There were some lovely comic moments in Taylor’s performance.

Chloe Furlong (Katelyn), Olivia Gill (TJ), Mason Royall (Ollie) and Jem Maddocks (Alfie) all had their chance to shine as part of the St Bernadette’s class. Olivia was a true professional, performing with ease whilst flying above the stage. Chloe performed well throughout, drawing the eye. Mason provided some great comedy moments, especially during the actual Nativity. Jem did well as Alfie, creating some emotional moments.

The young ensemble did very well throughout. The difference between the Oakmoor children and the children of St Bernadette’s was obvious, with the St Bernadette’s children full of life and energy, and the Oakmoor children being very regimented. The Oakmoor and St Bernadette’s fight was well staged. There were some lovely performances from the older members as well, taking on the roles of teachers and parents.

Teddy Oreo House was totally paw-some as Cracker! The audience loved it when Teddy first came on and the cast handled Teddy well.

Overall, this was a great production. There were some excellent performances, great staging, and a fantastic live band. In the words of Patrick Burns, five stars for your ‘Nativity! The Musical’!

Thank you to Congleton Amateur Youth Theatre for your kind welcome and hospitality. All the best for your next production ‘Frozen Jr’ next year.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.