‘Tis the season – children across the UK are excitedly preparing to perform in their school Nativity plays. And it’s the same for the “children” in Missiz Horrocks’ class – our production of The Flint Street Nativity is on stage from 6^th-13^th December. But there is a slight difference to this class of seven year olds – they’re all played by adults.

During rehearsals, we’ve been busy getting in touch with our inner children and it’s brought back a few memories of our own childhood Nativity plays – and it’s safe to say that not all of them are full of festive joy!

James Belsham plays Tim, he’s the Narrator and young Tim is taking it VERY seriously, he wants to impress his Dad and make him proud.  Remembering his own Nativity appearances, James says:

“We did Baboushka for our School Nativity, and I was a (presumably Russian) Shepherd. I did do plenty of Church Nativities as well, I was Joseph a few times but always wanted to be Herod!”

Playing Wise Gold, Paula Smoothy (last seen on the EAT stage as the fabulously eccentric Helga Ten Dorp in Deathtrap) remembers:

“Wise Gold is a very ‘lucky little lady’ to be a Wise Man, in my Nativity play I was only one of the angels, obviously not THE Angel (Gabriel)!”

Helen Macdonald is Zoe, taking on the role of a very straight-talking Shepherd in the Flint Street Primary Nativity, full of gory detail from growing up on a farm. Helen’s memories are a little less livestock-focused:

“I played roles as diverse as a Jester (!) and a recorder-playing Herald. Obviously, I always wanted to be Mary, but it was not to be …”

Our wonderful Music Director, Karen Crook, has a happier memory of an angelic performance:

“I was Gabriel. I was the tallest in the class at the time and I definitely DIDN’T want to be Mary!”

Talking of Mary … taking on the greatest theatrical rivalry since Elphaba and Glinda fell out over a pair of sparkly shoes, we have Penny Walshe and Jo Gleeson.

Jo plays Ashley, she’s been cast as Angel Gabriel but is fixated on taking centre stage and donning that iconic blue dress. When Jo was at school, she says:

“I was supposed to be Mary in the school Nativity and they changed me to the Narrator as I was louder, I was gutted! Absolutely gutted!!!”

So near, and yet so far …

As for Penny, hers is arguably the most crushing School Nativity disappointment:

“I had dreams of playing Mary but would have been happy to be anybody, even a sheep. Instead I was cast as ‘a wall on the road to Bethlehem’. Not even a door to one of the Inns, I was a WALL. Dressed in a grey sheet, I stood still and Mary and Joseph walked past me!”

Sadly, no photos remain of this key “supporting” role (Supporting. Wall. Supporting wall. Geddit?), but thanks to the brilliant Robert Piwko, our production photographer, Penny will finally have some pictures of her playing Mary – only a few years later than planned!

Finally, we have Eric Whiting, whose sport-obsessed character Ryan has not one but TWO roles – he’s playing Herod and Joseph. As for Eric, was his Nativity experience a crushing disappointment? He says:

“I wanted to be Joseph. I was Joseph”.

Enough said.

So, there you have it. It looks like most of the cast will be getting over their childhood disappointment this Christmas!

Come and join us down at Flint Street Primary School for a Nativity play with a difference!

Book your tickets here.