Teach Primary Issue 18.6

Just like the appearance of festive displays in shops in September, the beginning of a new school year comes with the stark reminder that Christmas is coming, and you’ll be expected to put on a nativity-based show by the end of term. Now, you might be an ardent Christmas enthusiast – one who delights in every sparkle and song – but there are also those who see it as another thing to add to the endless list of teacher tasks. Either way, you’ll be rejoicing at the prospect of getting your hands on a nativity show that takes the effort out of the whole business. The School Musicals Company has released two new shows: Secret Angels for four-to-seven-year-olds, and Hay Bale Hotel for five-to-nine- year-olds. As those who have put on their shows before will expect, both come with everything you need for a stress-free, successful production. Written by Niki Davies, Secret Angels imagines a section of the heavenly host as a special-ops squad charged with covertly facilitating the key moments in the nativity story. Need a star to follow? They’ll buff one up for you. Innkeeper liable to forget that his stable can double up as a maternity suite? They’ll have a quiet word in his shell-like. However, they forget to tell the shepherds and have to rush back to Bethlehem to give them the news. In their haste, they fail to put on their disguises, and appear in all their blinding glory to the shocked flock-watchers. Hay Bale Hotel approaches the story from the perspective of Bethlehem’s animals. Written by Tom Kirkham and Matthew Crossey, it portrays the them as reacting to the census with greater foresight than the human population. Worried that there won’t be enough accommodation for the expected influx of people, they decide to establish their own hotel, furnished with hay bales. No prizes for guessing who arrives as their first and only guest family. And, of course, they play host to other special visitors: the shepherds and the three wise men. Appropriately enough, given the slightly younger pitch of the piece, Secret Angels has a simple, comparatively direct script that relies on the cuteness of the cast to please the crowd. Hay Bale Hotel is a bit more of a romp with the sort of groan-worthy jokes that will put a smile on everybody’s face and get them in training for Christmas cracker gags. As for the songs, Niki Davies has once again managed, in Secret Angels , to hit that sweet spot where simplicity, brevity and catchiness converge. I particularly liked ‘Shine Shine Golden Star’. Hay Bale Hotel also offers a charming collection of ditties. Of course, the suggested age-range is that little bit older but, even so, you may need to schedule serious rehearsal time to get everything right, as some songs really pack in the lyrics. Nevertheless, ‘On Christmas Day’ is a real good-cheer showstopper that should leave the audience with a warm and festive glow. And, after all is sung and done, that’s what these performances are about, isn’t it? £26.95 RRP per show for the booklet and CD (or downloads) plus £26.00 performance licence | theschoolmusicalscompany.com Well-pitched scripts Charming, catchy songs Speaking parts for over 30 children Detailed guidance notes Reduces the stress of staging production …you want to put on enchanting, crowd-pleasing nativity-based shows without losing sleep over them. VERD I CT UPGRADE I F . . . Two magical, musical nativity shows with editable scripts and original songs AT A GLANCE MUS I C Comprehensive booklets providing editable scripts, song lyrics and music Includes detailed staging notes CD/downloadable audio files featuring vocal and non-vocal versions of each song Entertaining adaptations of the Christmas story Sing-along backing and vocal videos REVIEWED BY: MIKE DAVIES Secret Angels & Hay Bale Hotel “Everything you need for a stress-free, successful production” www.teachwire.net | 93 RE V I EWS