Primary issue
NATIVITY! Director: Debbie Isitt Cert. U
Teachers lurk anxiously behind tinsel-covered curtains; excited children wait for their big moment; and nervous parents hope that their child won’t be the one who it’s all too much for. Delightfully enchanting or toe-curlingly embarrassing, nativity plays are often memorable affairs. More to the point, whether it’s a traditional retelling or a politically correct revamp, the power of the original is easily lost.
Nativity! captures the drama, the delight and even the desperation of the nativity play. It is a partially-improvised comedy starring Martin Freeman (The Office, Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy) that revels in all the ludicrous possibilities of the primary school nativity experience. But it’s more than that: it also reminds us of the biblical truth of the first nativity, and offers a sincere and moving message. Film distributor E1 Entertainment has even commissioned Christian charity the Damaris Trust to produce free online resources for schools and churches to make the most of its film.
Desire for glory
Freeman stars as Paul Maddens, a failed actor turned primary school teacher. His rivalry with Gordon Shakespeare (Jason Watkins), a teacher at a posh local independent school, manifests in their respective nativity shows. Driven to distraction by Gordon’s bragging, Paul invents an elaborate lie about Hollywood’s interest in turning his nativity show into a book and film. Soon the St. Bernadette’s school nativity revolves not around Jesus, but around Paul and his false promise of fame.
