Last weekend, two of my friends and I went to see Nativity! the musical in Plymouth, a touring show based on the plot of the first of the Nativity film trilogy adapted from the mind of Debbie Isitt. We all loved the film and felt that it was well-adapted for the stage with some new musical numbers and up-to-date jokes at celebrity expense. In short, it was a wonderful, feel-good, family-friendly musical with a cinematic-style plot and some fantastic panto-esque jokes – a bundle of Christmas joy with laughs for everyone. It didn’t matter that we were the oldest members of the audience (minus the parents escorting their children), my friends and I had an amazing time, and would thoroughly recommend it to family and friends alike.
For anyone who hasn’t seen Nativity the film, the plot is centered on a primary school teacher who dislikes Christmas, and his attempts to keep up with a little white lie that spirals out of control and sees the whole of Coventry thinking that Hollywood is coming to see the school’s nativity! The touring show follows a similar plot, but with some extra musical numbers to jazz up the scenes in which the students prepare for their big opening night. It was a real surprise for me, as I hadn’t been expecting such a high calibre of singing from the adult members of the cast, mostly because the adult cast don’t really sing in the first Nativity movie. This was a pleasant surprise, however, and was made even better by the unexpected emotional scenes that were also added to the show, potentially to pad out the theatre-length running time, but also providing further depth to an already enjoyable plot.
The iconic character of the childish Mr Poppy – played by Simon Lipkin in this production – really stole the show in my opinion. In the original, Martin Freeman (as Mr Maddens) was my favourite character, and Daniel Boys was excellent as Mr Maddens in the stage show also. However, Simon Lipkin really “sparkled and shined” as Mr Poppy – which for those of you who don’t know, is a key lyric and message from the Nativity franchise! I had seen him in the short-lived X-factor musical I Can’t Sing (which my mother and I had actually extremely enjoyed and was sad to see close early), and so I was met with further pleasant surprise when he bounced across stage in a variety of different fandom shirts, such as Star Wars and Home Alone. The eccentric joy of the original Mr Poppy still shone through in Simon Lipkin’s portrayal, but with added zest through his new role as narrator of the show (as well as being narrator for the kids’ nativity at the end – we have a show within a show,I told you the plot had depth!), and also through his abilities as a percussionist and singer.
Finally, it’s important to note how wonderful the cast of child performers were in their varying roles, from a shy child who wasn’t sure if they’d be able to sing well, to a hilarious group of overachieving private school children with big voices and even bigger attitudes. I think the child cast changes for each theatre location, as some of the performers in this show were local to the area, whilst others had journeyed from further afield. This provides a fantastic opportunity for children across the country to not only watch and enjoy the shows but also to partake and immerse themselves in Christmas and musical theatre alike!
So whether you’re a small kid or a big kid (as the cast were referred to when they took their bows), you’ll really love the Nativity films, but also this fabulous new touring musical. For now, it seems that the show will only be around for this Christmas – but I’m sure fellow Nativity enthusiasts would join me in my wish for a new addition to Issit’s Nativity franchise every single Christmas!