"Nativity The Musical" Sparkles and Shines at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre!

A great storyline, dancing and singing, children, comedy, memorable, catchy songs - what’s not to like?  Nothing!  This show is pure delight from start to finish with every ingredient to warm the heart and make you laugh out loud and shed a tear in equal measure. 

Primary school teacher Paul Maddens is given the unenviable task of directing the school Nativity play,  much to his dismay assisted by none other than the craziest, quirkiest, most uncontrollable teaching assistant Mr Poppy, who just happens to be the nephew of the headmistress.  

With no choice but to embrace the madness, Mr Maddens soldiers on, but when his ex-best friend Gordon Shakespeare and his private school pupils ridicule his efforts, he tells a tiny white lie which soon escalates with mammoth consequences.  Is Hollywood really coming to see St. Bernadette’s Nativity play?  Let’s wait and see!

From a production perspective, this show is complex with many aspects to consider and it is obvious that the creative team has worked very hard to bring the best version of amateur theatre to the stage they can. Is it perfect technically?  Probably not, but nothing detracts from the energy and spirit of the piece which is emotionally uplifting to say the least.

Alec White is very well cast as the depressed and despairing Mr Maddens and is the perfect straight man alongside Matt Elson’s childlike, zany portrayal of Mr Poppy.  Matt’s comic timing and ability to whip the audience up are second to none and while he is perhaps a different take on the movie version of the character, he is nonetheless engaging, appealing and simply silly!

Stacey Lovatt offers an excellent vocal performance as Jennifer, the girlfriend who moved stateside, and Olly Derham is annoying, arrogant and snooty as Mr Shakespeare.  All four principal characters offer the all important contrasting characterisations which are key to the success of the show.

There are some experienced cameo performances from Greg Yates and the Lord Mayor, Nick Sullivan as The Priest and Mike James as theatre critic Patrick Burns, while Sarah Haughton is well cast as the Headmistress, Mrs Bevan, with an air of authority but also a flirty fun side too!

A small but effective ensemble who play a variety of roles round off the cast perfectly and should be applauded for their hard-work and ability to transform from character to character.   Watch out for Stephen Burton-Pye in the role of the Tour Guide!  Simply hilarious!

Well, that’s the grown-ups dealt with, but of course, the real stars of this show are the children.

There are two very different sets -  Mr Shakespeare’s class from Oakmore School who are all just “Ding Dong”  vocally and execute the regimented, military choreography to a tee,  while the St. Bernadette’s kids are “full of joy” with, as you would expect, a cooler approach. 

Either way this cast of youngsters just oozes talent.  Isabella Farenden is definitely “The Star”, gliding high in the air, with lovely vocals and projection of her lines.  Meanwhile Lucas Barker is fearless and funny as TJ and Gabriel, descending the “deathslide” and hovering about the stage with ease. 

Theo Tratt as naughty boy Ollie is definitely a talent and perfectly portrays the little lad with issues at home who just wants attention, and Oliver Rudge as Alfie is another one to watch, with a mature approach to his role. 

All of the children’s performances are outstanding and the hard work that has gone into extracting the very best from them is evident and they romp through number after number.

The songs from the movie come thick and fast including the favourites “Sparkle and Shine”, “Nazareth” and “One Night, One Moment” all of which had everyone singing along, but also there are some new songs too, created for the stage show which are equally endearing. 

The scenery is static but very Christmassy and suitably unobtrusive given the large cast on stage for the majority of the show.

Gareth Howard’s musical direction is spot on and I can only begin to imagine how difficult it must have been to build the enthusiasm and excitement and keep the attention of the youngsters during rehearsals.  What an excellent job he and his assistant Sam Deakin have done. 

There is a touching moment in the final Nativity scene where the audience are encouraged to switch on the lights on their phones, so if you go, do join in because the effect could be magical. 

There are not many tickets left for this Yuletide treat, but grab one if you can because “Nativity the Musical” is guaranteed to make even the hardest heart melt this Christmas.  It is simply the perfect festive gift for all the family. 

For tickets visit grandtheatre.co.uk or call 01902 429212.   Runs until Sunday.  FIVE STARS.