Nativity The Musical At Regent Theatre Stoke On Trent Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Lindsay Burton

Bursting at the seams with festive sparkle and shine, Nativity! The Musical lit up the stage as it opened at the Regent Theatre in Stoke last night.

Based on the hit Christmas movie, this much-loved musical is full of laughs, warmth, and festive cheer – absolutely perfect for this time of year. With catchy songs like Sparkle and Shine, Nazareth, and One Night One Moment, it tells a sweet story of the heartbroken Mr Madden and his class at St Bernadette’s. This production brings the pure magic of Christmas to life with captivating music, delightful characters, and stacks of feel-good moments.

The story is about Mr. Maddens (Dan Booth), a stressed primary school teacher who suddenly must organise the school’s nativity play regardless of the horrendous -2 rating Patrick Burns (Craig Armstrong) awarded them with the previous production. With help from Mr. Poppy (James Dawe), the fun but totally unpredictable supply classroom assistant who just happens to be the nephew of the headteacher, Mrs Bevans (Tracy Brought-Chesters).

Always competing for spot of best production, Gordon Shakespeare (Tom Pear) does not allow this to go ahead without some spying and ridicule with his snobby cohort. When someone overhears a chat and thinks a Hollywood producer might come to watch, the rumour spreads fast, and soon the kids, parents, and whole town are caught up in a vortex of glitter, excitement, and festive madness.

Some fabulous vocals from Leah Dowell (Jennifer Lore), Dottie Brown (Star) and James Dawe (Mr. Poppy), this production was absolutely brought to life by the sizeable number of talented children in the cast.

Having my own son in one of their previous productions, I know first hand the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into this production by absolutely everyone involved and as usual, completely blown away by the sheer quality of the entire production. And of course, I could not complete this review without mention the furriest cast member, Theo, who played Mr Madden’s dog Cracker. Not phased about the noise or audience, Theo was a smash hit with the audience.

The set design was also outstanding – I am not usually a fan of a screen used for backdrops but this worked exceptionally well, scenes changed quickly and efficiently requiring only minimal props on stage.

With huge dance numbers, bright costumes, and a story about resilience when the odds are counting against you, Nativity! The Musical is a great Christmas show for the whole family. It will not matter if you have never seen the movie before; you will absolutely love this fun and cheerful musical which offers plenty of laughs and Christmas magic for the whole family. Do not miss your chance to enjoy the sparkle!
Nativity! The Musical has a script and lyrics by Debbie Isitt, with music by Debbie Isitt and Nicky Ager, and orchestrations by George Dyer. This amateur production is presented by Stage Productions with permission from Music Theatre International.

Rating: 5/5  We rate this production as a 5/5!

Ticket prices start from £16.34 and can be purchased from https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/stage-productions-presents-nativity-the-musical/regent-theatre/tickets/64C95B5A-D656-43B8-8AF8-B9DD8EA9D75E
Don’t miss this production that will be running until this coming Saturday, 6th December.