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December 17th, 2007

The Liverpool Nativity

The Liverpool Nativity was shown on BBC 3 this evening, and is repeated on BBC 1 on the 23rd of December. [Update: you can watch it here for a while at least - might be UK only, I'm not sure. Thanks Rhys.] I thought it was really good, but I’ll let some others tell you about it as I am suffering from mild cartoon malaise.

Kester:

This was no cynical re-telling, but a contemporary, serious, politically aware take on the Christmas narrative, writ large as public spectacle. Thousands and thousands had turned out to the Dockside to join the spectacle, performed live throughout the city. What is fantastic about these events is that they appear to tap into the rich Christian root in our heritage – a heritage that I think people are beginning to see is vital to our coherent future, rather than being consigned to our past. I think this could be interpreted as a move into clear post-Christian water, where people are happy to be part of events like this without it being tied to ‘the church’.

John Davies:

The Flashmob Operas, the Manchester Passion, the Margate Exodus and tonight the Liverpool Nativity: all of them affirm the ongoing English love of gathering for a celebration of the deep mysteries which link people, music, story and place. And the latter three events also acknowledge that, as one writer put it this week, “ours is historically a Christian culture.” That writer goes on to share a concern that “children who grow up ignorant of biblical literature are diminished, unable to take literary allusions, actually impoverished,” and a great thing about events like these is that they play a significant part in helping these narratives resurface and be reborn, in the mainstream.

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10 Responses to “The Liverpool Nativity”


  1. joe says:

    To be fair, I don’t have a TV so have not seen the Liverpool Nativity.

    But I am increasingly aware this Advent that we do not live in a Christian culture. Even in church, we are actually ignorant of what the story actually says, we focus on some aspects, totally ignore others.

    The children who do participate in Nativity plays have their heads filled with Donkeys, Stables, Innkeepers, none of which are actually mentioned in the gospel accounts. This is not helped by the prevalence of carols which sell such nonsense as ‘the little Lord Jesus no crying he makes’.

    Indeed, it would be a good thing when people get tired of this annual charade, this fix of religion which demands nothing and involves reciting meaningless platitudes between showering each other with unaffordable gifts and overdosing on turkey.

    December 17th, 2007 at 9:07 am
  2. Russ says:

    I watched the programme, and thought it was a powerful, contemporary take that will have attracted a vastly different audience to those who would bother to watch a traditional Nativity story dramatisation.

    Yes, making some of the songs work as part of the story was stretching it a bit, and yes, it was a bit of a Liverpool love-in, but these were minor grumbles in a production that shone with energy, passion, wit, style and contemporary relevance.

    I bet the audience taking part will remember it for a long time, and as others have already said, it earths a foundational Christian story in a public community event that deliberately embraces everyone who wants to be part of it, whatever stage of belief or non-belief they are at. And that’s got to be encouraging.

    It was also cracking telly, by the way, which ‘religious’ progs so often haven’t been.

    December 17th, 2007 at 10:15 am
  3. John Davies says:

    Sorry you find something wrong with a Liverpool love-in, Russ. Just what you need to fill two hours in sub-zero temperatures, I’d say. Much rather a love-in than a squabble, eh? Much rather a love-in than a sharing of mutual apathy and non-commitment to each other….???? A love-in in the very conscious context of the retelling of the story of the birth of God’s Child of Love… sorry you find something wrong with that….

    December 17th, 2007 at 11:06 am
  4. Spike says:

    I wasn’t impressed. Having watched the excellent Manchester Passion last year, I suppose I was making comparisons and expected too much.

    I didn’t think much to the performance, and as for Herodias, wel they could at least have found somebody who can actually sing. Unlike the Passion where a lot of thought seemed to have gone in to choosing the songs, I thought the songs used in the Liverpool Nativity were tenuous to say the least.

    I liked Paul Barber as the Innkeeper though.

    December 17th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
  5. John says:

    I thought Mary & Joseph’s performances were very powerful. I admit it. I cried. Lots.

    December 17th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
  6. Russ says:

    “Much rather a love-in than a squabble, eh?”

    Oh, yeah, definitely – I’m not knocking that, just pointing out the couple of things that were in danger of distracting me a bit from the story. Maybe they shouldn’t have. But I’m just being honest – I’m sure I’d have felt differently if I was in the thick of the crowd in my home city.

    December 17th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
  7. Rhys says:

    Point of info: you can watch the Liverpool Nativity via the BBC’s website at this link until, I think, December 23rd or thereabouts. The video may only be for those in the UK though. We missed the programme last night, but the first six minutes have convinced us to set the video for the BBC One repeat.

    My top Greenbelt highlight of 2006 was watching the Manchester Passion on the big screen after missing it on telly at Easter, especially as it was followed by an interview with the producers and directors. The BBC deserve kudos for going for big bold (and let’s not forget, live) spectacles such as this.

    December 17th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
  8. Andy says:

    I think I would have prefered it, if I hadn’t watched the Manchester Passion, I agree with Russ – it was a little bit of a Liverpool Love-in…

    December 17th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
  9. Philip of Samaria says:

    The original story reads like a ‘christmas special’ on BBC1 – bits cut and paste from here (‘out of Eygypt’ – that’s a great location, pyramids in background) and there (got to get Bethlehem in somehoe) with guest star appearances (Herod, Eric and Ernie Wisemen) and special songs to break into (Magnficat by Madonna, Peace on Earth by U2 and the Angels).

    Great fun but is this what incarnation is actuslly all about?

    December 19th, 2007 at 7:06 am
  10. Longwayround says:

    I’m sorry to say that I found the performance so dreadful that I turned it off after 20 minutes.

    Too much of the singing was weak or tuneless and too many of the songs were forced (‘Seven minutes to midnight’?).

    Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had I not seen the excellent Manchester Passion. I would give the Beeb 9/10 for effort on this one but a definite ‘must try harder’ for the delivery.

    December 19th, 2007 at 6:47 pm