The Flint Street Nativity

This is a hilarious, yet thought-provoking play, about a school nativity play took the audience back to a time when classroom debates were all about which part you would play.  Who would be the fifth shepherd?   Who would be Mary? Why do the Wise Men get the nicest  costumes?   The play was originally a Christmas TV production (1999) with the story being based on memories collected from members of playwright Tim Firth’s family and friends, many of whom were teachers.   It is wonderfully observed and hilariously funny, but there are also some very poignant moments, especially seen through the eyes of seven-year-old.

This production was a great team effort and had been directed by Lynne Whitaker who also voiced the class teacher Mrs Horrocks.  I do wonder how she coped trying to ensure that this class of chaotic youngsters didn’t need ‘time-out’ too often.  

The experienced actors ensured that the individual personalities came through very clearly, with some wonderful characters created.  The twins, Innkeeper (Louis Taithe) and Shepherd (Alison Westwood) were most definitely a handful.    Westwood kept a great straight face whilst delivering some of the funniest lines in the play about her life on the farm and she  also managed to needle her supposed brother about his unrequited love for Jenny (playing Mary) at any opportunity.  Taithe was an almost demonic child and I am certain he was actually in my class fifty years ago – Taithe managed to be cruel in childlike way and yet the audience could also see the trouble bubbling behind his eyes. 

Ryan (Kyle Gallagher) had to play not only Joseph, but also Herod, but clearly just wanted to play his own invented game of ‘Question of Sport’ which he managed very neatly to fit into the production by issuing red cards at any opportunity.  Great physicality from Gallagher who wonderfully recreated the movements of a seven-year-old.  Marcus was playing the Star (Luke Lortie) and he was a bright child, totally obsessed by all things scientific, especially in connection with space and space travel, because, as we repeatedly heard, his ‘Uncle Ted’ worked for NASA and was travelling from Florida to see the nativity.  Some wonderful childlike frustration portrayed by Lortie as he sought to bring the class up to speed with the real chemical make-up of a star.

Ashley (Julie Amos) really, really wanted to play Mary (what primary aged girl doesn’t?).  So Ashley, who had been given the role of Gabriel, had brought her own golden-haired doll as the ‘superior’ baby Jesus and was delighted when it appeared that Jenny (playing Mary) was about to be ill, and then incredibly disgruntled when it transpired that she wasn’t.  Amos absolutely captured the nasty bullying and manipulative tactics of this child who was constantly playing one girl off against another.  It was no surprise that little Suzie (playing Angel) was petrified by the fact that her mum had bought her light-up wings which were much nicer that those Gabriel had.   Rebecca Ford as Suzie was delightfully sweet and sadly very easily manipulated by Ashley.

Tim who played Narrator was full of insecurities, as his parents were in the process of splitting up.  Tom Bull managed to perfectly portray this sad little chap who was clearly quite emotional, but managed to hold it together whilst continually updating everyone on the progress in Bethlehem.  Martin Stead as the Boy playing Ass was a real delight, though they never saw his face the audience were reassured that inside the cardboard box mask Stead was pulling every face possible.  Jess Fort was sweet as Jess playing Wise Gold, repeatedly telling anyone who would listen about her mums exploits at bingo – a really childlike performance.

Alistair Cheetham played Adrian, the new boy with a terrible speech impediment which was most definitely impacting on his ability to play the Wise Man bearing the gift of Frankincense.  The song with Ass was fabulous and Cheetham managed to keep up the speech challenges throughout.  Everyone had a Jenny in their class at school and Sarah Liptrott captured the perfect teacher’s pet whose mum was on the PTA and always helped her to learn her lines so obviously deserved the part of Mary.  Liptrott was oblivious to how her ‘good as gold’ persona was impacting on her ability to make friends and just seemed to be having a wonderful time trying to impress Ryan, until the attentions of Bradley (the Innkeeper) started to get out-of-hand.  Wonderful naivety from Liptrott.

This was a fine play with great characters and lots of humour, but it was also very touching and thought-provoking particularly at the end when the audience meet the parents of the children and can see quite clearly why the children are the way they are.  The humorous songs were well presented and the live music was definitely a bonus as Musical Director Keira Watson accompanied them with her piano.   The piano also came in useful when the audience participated in singing carols as though they were the audience in a school hall.

The set was a primary school classroom with paintings on the walls and other display materials.  Pride of place was given to the ‘House Corner’, but there was also a very well-used Stationery Cupboard.     As always the Narnia Business team had done a great job with the set build including a front of stage ‘climbing frame’ which had been painted in perfect primary school colours.  Props were well used and swiftly changed when needed and costume was spot on for a school nativity.  Lighting was effective throughout, as was the sound.  The special effect of the projection of stick insect - Peter Croach - being enlarged by the overhead projector was hilarious.

A most entertaining afternoon for this talented and accomplished company.  Congratulations to Lynne, Keira and all the team at Huddersfield Thespians.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.