Nativity! The Musical

Nativity! The Musical performed by HeyKids was every inch the glittery extravaganza that I expected. The stage was fairly simple with four large dark blue triangular shaped columns covered in huge white snowflakes, wrapped presents on a wide four tier stairs dais at the rear of the stage, two piles of three presents at either side of front stage and of course the red neon lit Nativity! sign flown in. There were also three large box shaped wrapped presents placed across the front of the stage that the three children first erupted from. Sound by MASH Audiovisual  was good with just a couple of fumbles. Lighting designed by Rob Armstrong was very fitting to the scenes, I particularly liked the use of the spotlight in “Nazareth” to show the chaos backstage too. The red flood in “Herod” was dramatic full red and beautifully over the top. Costumes by World of Wigle looked fresh and sparkly .

Chris Addington as Musical Director works so hard with the cast, this is obvious from the confident way they present themselves when they are singing - be it a solo or a full number. The notes are delivered with attack, diction is clear, harmonies and melodies are known. He leads the band with confidence and delivers some great pace - there is a nice balance between the dialogue and the music. Choreographers Katie Zobenica and Helen Ireland have well drilled their cast and so all the dance moves look polished and practised. A particular favourite of mine was “Sparkle & Shine”.

Being slave to  a miniature dachshund myself I was thrilled to see that Dophi & Roastie would be in this show. I do have to comment on what a beautifully behaved dog I saw, Roastie hit his mark every time and never once barked where he wasn`t supposed to. His chemistry with George Ireland (Mr Maddens) was very evident. George gave a very solid and confident performance, his vocals were strong, his connection with the audience was good, he used his stage space well and really injected light and shade into his characterisation. Jake Ashworth as the effervescent Mr Poppy showed the contrast between the two teachers characters beautifully, he kept his energy very high all the way through, he made the audience really feel for him when Mr Maddens shouts at him and tells him to just go away. He allows his childlike exuberance to erupt and enhance his characterisation. We also saw his much calmer, gentle softer side in “My Very First Day At School”. Wesley Mottershead as Mr Gordon Shakespeare did a very good job in his Herod rock musical, but personally, I did feel he played his character too full on all the time – I would have liked to see some light and shade, to have been able to really see some rage building into that glorious overflow. Daisy Eagleton as Jennifer Lore had a lovely presence and delivered some very fine vocals. The ensemble worked hard during this production, I really enjoyed seeing the two very definitely different sets of schoolchildren, the movements were so precise from Oakmoor.

Well done, everyone! I went out feeling all “Sparkle & Shine!" Thank you for inviting me, I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

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