Nativity! The Musical by arrangement with MTI

Ellesmere MTC brought ‘sparkle and shine’ to Sheffield with their fabulous production of ‘Nativity – The Musical’.  Carolan Copley-Tucci, Director and Choreographer, had found Christmas magic in October and the whole show was uplifting and enjoyable.  The production team, cast and crew had clearly worked hard to get this show to such a high standard.

The principal characters were all very well cast, Carol Wibberley was most officious as Headteacher, Mrs Bevan - She was just the right level of ‘strict’, but found her softer side later in the show.   Natalie Hides Coward was great as Show Reviewer Patricia Burns – fabulous characterisation and a most entertaining performance. Holly Hopkins played Jourdan Shakespeare with quite an evil streak and Lowri Anderson was super in role of Jennifer Law who left love behind in Coventry to follow her dreams – both had strong voices.  Lucy Lithgow worked well in the supporting role of Miss Rye and there were some excellent cameos by members of the ensemble throughout the show.

Phill Probert portrayed the most lovely Mr Maddens who the audience couldn’t fail to empathise with.  His performance was genuine and beautifully presented.   Sam Widdowson as Mr Poppy was just fabulous.  He was a non-stop bundle of fun and I have no idea where he got his energy, but he was perfect for the role.  The pairing of Widdowson and Probert was inspired, they worked so well together and everything about the different stages of their relationship felt genuine.

From Coventry to Hollywood the ensemble sang and danced their way through this fun-filled show. The jokes were thick and fast and the timing of everyone on stage was excellent.  Pace was well maintained and the cast delivered the songs enthusiastically.  It was clear that Gareth Lloyd, MD, had worked hard and brought out the best in the solo and ensemble numbers.

For me the children and senior dancers absolutely stole the show (which was tricky against this very strong cast!) - they sang with full voice, smiled, danced and did a brilliant job with the humour.  They were all in-time and in-step, had huge smiles, maintained their characters and were an absolute credit to those who had worked with them and their parents/carers.  Every child on stage clearly wanted to be there and were enjoying every minute of it – their confidence shone through.   Those taking on roles delivered their lines clearly and with just the right amount of ‘sass’.

The locally sourced set and props were great and a credit to everyone who had spent time on them.  Sound and light were enhanced with clever projections.  The costumes worked well and had more than a touch of Christmas magic.  

From the moment we entered the theatre time had moved on a couple of months as the Front of House Team entered into the spirit of the show by dressing in Christmas costumes and jumpers – a clever addition.  A wonderful time was had by everyone on stage and in the audience and congratulations must go to all the Production Team, performers, backstage crew and everyone front of house for giving us a super evening’s entertainment.

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