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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Dexter Whitehead as Mr Poppy, the big kid without the hat, with children from St Bernadette's. Pictures: Christopher Commander Nativity! The Musical Sutton Arts Theatre ***** If you are looking for an alternative to panto then this is it - a fabulous production full of heart, festive cheer and sporting a live camel (sort of), a death slide and a tribute to that nemesis of childminders – Herod: The Rock Musical, which presumably is aimed at children aged two and under. It appears Sutton Arts never got the memo about never working with children or animals so we have 27 children and one cute as you like real dog, who, between them, pretty well steal the show, oh and there are a few grown ups to make up the numbers. And what you get is festive fun, manic at times when Mr Poppy is around, a sad long distance love story and, not just one but two primary school Nativities. It all started a long time ago when Paul Maddens, Gordon Shakespeare and Jennifer were children and best friends. They went off to drama school together and there, well, playtime ended and real life took over. Richard Millward gives us a conscientious, passionate and not that well organised Mr Maddens with a don’t rock the boat attitude. The drama student soon realised he was not very good at acting so became a primary school teacher at St Bernadette’s Roman Catholic Infants School in Coventry whose only claim to fame was that it made every other school look better.
David Thane as Gordon Shakespeare as Herod, festive rock god(?) Gordon, meanwhile, decided he was the greatest actor of his generation, an opinion sadly shared by no one else, so with the curtain down on that career he became . . . a primary school teacher at the prestigious Oakmoor preparatory school. David Thane gives him a delightfully wicked arrogance bordering on nastiness, allied to a cruel streak and driving competitiveness. His only joy appears to be smashing his state school rival in the annual battle of the Nativities. He really is a poster boy for insecurity – but without him there wouldn’t be much of a story. Then there is Jennifer . . . Jennifer and Paul, Mr Maddens when he’s in school, had become lovers and had moved in together. Sophie McCoy gives us a dreamer, a Jennifer who wants to be not an actor but a Hollywood producer. It was almost Christmas and Paul gave her a dog, the scene stealing Cracker, as a present, and was just about to . . . well it didn’t matter anymore did it as she announced she was taking an internship in Los Angeles, leaving in a few days, just before Christmas. It gives us a lovely duet with Wrapped In A Rainbow as they part. It explained why Mr Madden was not really a fan of Christmas, nor of Nativities after his last one was not even good enough to even be classed as a disaster. So, he is less then ecstatic when the head, Mrs Bevan, tasks him with organising this year’s Nativity. Sarah Stanley’s Mrs Bevan being a no-nonsense head of a school even Ofsted avoids, permanently teetering on the edge of closure.
The military precision of Oakmoor Prep pupils As a peace offering she offers Mr Maddens a new teaching assistant, Mr Poppy, to help him. The words teaching, assistant and certainly help, are somewhat debatable . . . and how he got the job in the first place is . . . let’s just say dodgy, nepotism being perhaps a bit too big a word for primary school. So, enter, on scooter, Dexter Whitehead as Mr Poppy, who it appears is the biggest kid around, full of enthusiasm and optimism, remarkable silliness and, through all the daft games and songs, is the only one not to give up on the kids condemned to the worst school in Coventry. It is a lovely daft performance full of fun from Dexter who is making a remarkable recovery from a catastrophic stroke just over a year ago. Then we have the children, all 27 of them, the posh lot from Oakmoor with their military precision and the mob from St Bernadettes from more the Bash Street Kids end. But whichever end they are from they are all magic They act like natural kids with none of the fixed smile, face the audience, stage school look about them and they take some snappy and complex dance routines (choreographer Anna Stuart) in their stride as well as displaying some lovely voices . . . when you could hear them properly. A couple of boundary mics for those not miked up might help. They bring an infectious enthusiasm which sweeps the audience along with them. So, the two schools are set for the Nativity war except . . . somehow the rumour starts that Jennifer, Hollywood’s big producer, is coming over and . . . lets just say it gets a bit, well actually, a lot out of hand with the Lord Mayor, Mark Natrass looking good in ermine, getting involved and Coventry’s bombed out cathedral offered as a venue . . . All of which has Patrick Burns, theatre and rather theatrically camp critic of The Coventry Evening Telegraph, in an orgasmic meltdown. He has a way with words like no other . . . thankfully, Burns being played by Paul Atkins, as here, and also by Kieran Jenkins.
Richard Millward as Mr Maddens and David Thane as Mr Shakespeare discuss the merits of Nativity styles - as in mine is bigger and better than yours After a trip to LA, and a realisation that Jennifer’s dream had been just that, a dream, it was inevitable the proverbial would hit the fan, but feel bad quickly loses out to feel good as Mr Poppy’s optimism lights up the stage despite being laid into by Mrs Bevan and Brooke Cooper’s Miss Rye, another of the school’s devastated teaching team. What’s a P45, Miss? And, running parallel to the Nativity is that love story, Paul and Jennifer, remember. She dumped him for a broken dream and he still carries a torch for her no matter how much he denies it. McCoy has a lovely voice, note perfect and gives us some real anger in Jennifer’s request as she lays it out to her somewhat demanding boss Mr Parker, Keith Hayes, but there is a far gentler emotion in her voice in another duet with Mr Maddens in Suddenly. She really is a delight. And as for the kids, they smash it with lively numbers like Nazareth, Sparkle And Shine, She's The Brightest Star and the anthem, One Night, One Moment while Mr Shakespeare and his pretentious pupils weigh in with Herod The Rock Opera. There is also a moment of real sadness with Dear Father Christmas as Mr Maddens reads the letters the children have written to Santa to tell him what they want for Christmas. When you are from a broken or troubled home it’s not PS5s or Xboxes, its far more basic and far more precious than that. For a moment thoughts escape Sutton Arts into the world outside where Christmas is just another day to survive for some kids and their families. Bringing the songs to life is the marvellous Gladstone Wilson, the musical director and keyboard wizard with a three piece band while there is a flexible 11 strong ensemble to provide tourists in LA, parents in school and an audience for the Nativity. I am always amazed at Sutton Arts sets, theirs is a WYSIWYG stage with no wings or flies yet they manage to cram in some great sets with Mark Natrass once again responsible for this one, with a magic box on the apron which can house an entire cast if needed. There are also some flashy costumes on show designed by director Emily Armstrong and created by the theatre’s wardrobe with help from that old standby, Lichfield Costume Hire. Birmingham’s Debbie Isitt adapted her hit 2009 film for the stage, which premiered at Birmingham Rep back in 2017 and the story is simple and easy to follow with no complicated plot lines. It’s fun, a Christmas cracker that will leave you smiling all the way home, while children will love seeing other children on stage, after all this is their story, one they can relate to, enacted year after year in every primary school throughout the land. Yet there is enough clever humour allied to that emotional overlay to appeal to those who are pretending to be grown up, like parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents . . . Director Emily Armstrong and Sutton Arts have built a reputation for their sparkling Christmas pantos and this might not be panto but it is an out and out Christmas show for the entire family with more than enough sparkle to light up any winter’s night. It’s a fun festive story with heart, lively music, a tale of broken dreams and making promises come true and enough feelgood to keep you going well into the New Year. To 21-12-24. Roger Clarke 07-12-24 |
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