Nativity The Musical

The official website, though there could be changes. Fairly sure Danny, Rylan and Sharon are only in London and the provinces are safe ;-)

At Cardiff it  finished at 21.45ish with a prompt 19.30 start.

London may be different as cast almost entirely different on the tour.

Dani Dyer can neither sing nor act but got the most applause ....

Mayflower website states approximately 2 hours 20, including interval.

Thoroughly looking forward to seeing it in Southampton. Haven't managed to catch it before.

I saw this in Edinburgh last year and remember being out of the theatre about 10:05. Think it might have started late then.

I'm confused. I thought Simon was in the show already?

Simon is only doing the London dates this year. Scott Paige (tour Poppy) is sick, and I'm guessing understudies aren't fully rehearsed.

Time for my mini review. Scott Paige was brilliant on Monday. Mr poppy is a big role and he really threw himself into it, bits were different from what I was used to (2017 and 2018 London versions) and it felt like he made it his own. A younger Poppy and I was really impressed.
The kids were amazing. We had a set of twins and they had adapted it for them so it was like they played one character. I am sure a lot of twins feel that way! I’m so impressed at how the kids make the show feel so real. I really felt for them. The oakmoor kids were locals I think. They were fab, and it’s a shame as they only got a tiny bit of curtain call as a lot of people were on to see them.
The adult ensemble don’t have too much to do but do it well.
On to the celebrity in the room. Dani isn’t necessarily bad but in my opinion really not needed. Last year she was the producer’s daughter in London. They adapted the story a bit to give the emotional pull of why they would fly to Coventry. I didn’t like it but it kind of worked. This time she is the studio boss / producer. She is shoehorned into too many scenes and there are too many love island references. No, 9 year olds should not go to an island with a partner. I don’t care if you’ve received a text. The emotional part was shoehorned in to “I know your mum died when you were young ... we all know”. She comforts a child who is scared to perform ... after already doing half the nativity. She then sings a random Christmas song (last year it was the song her mum always used to sing). She is also the only one named in the curtain call.
Again I don’t blame dani. She played her part well but her part wasn’t right. The character is supposed to realise that they can do nice things for other people but it’s changed that she will go to England’s to lay flowers for her mum. That is for her, not for other people. It really didn’t work for me.
To end on a positive we got the amazing Simon Lipkin as cover Mr Poppy. I make no excuse, I love him. I have probably seen him in more different roles than any actor and he really excels here. Happy, sad, over enthusiastic, i was with him at every stage. I was sad I wouldn’t see him his year (as I think the celeb situation in London will be worse!) and jumped at the chance yesterday.

I give the show 5 stars but the shoehorning of celebs minus 2 stars.

Connor Ewing on today as Mr Poppy.

EDIT: Don’t quote me on it actually. There are two differing signs within the theatre, lol.

Returning to the Birmingham REP this year as their main Christmas show for 7 weeks from 17 November

Christmas season at The REP has been postponed for Christmas 2021.

I suppose the rights could be withdrawn, but the professional production will soon have competition from amateur companies the length and breadth of the country.

One of my local companies already has it pencilled in for October 2022.

(Royalties of 15% of box office, plus VAT, with a minimum of £100 per performance. Rehearsal material extra.)