WIVPC03

Wivelsfield Mediaeval Nativity Play
Sunday 27 November – thursday 1 December 2016
When Wivelsfield first produced a mediaeval
Nativity Play in the parish church in 2003 noone
thought that it might become a regular
feature in the amateur theatre calendar. And
yet it’s back this year for the sixth time since
that first presentation (see diary of events).
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Why has it proved so popular? Why have some
people been to all five of the previous shows?
Why do people travel long distances to see it?
For a start it is vastly different from any other
Nativity Play you are likely to have seen. Put
together from three of the Mystery Plays of the
Middle Ages, it is a story of ordinary human
beings, a baby in danger, a family of refugees
and a tyrant bent on killing perceived rivals.
Sounds almost contemporary doesn’t it!
And yet the story is told with tenderness,
realism and a great deal of humour. At times
audiences have shed tears – sometimes of
mirth, sometimes of sorrow and sometimes of
anger. They see Joseph angrily turning Mary
out for becoming pregnant without him and
then the tenderness of their reconciliation.
They see Jesus born before their very eyes. They
laugh at the knockabout humour of the three
shepherds who lead them in some singing.
They smile at the Three Kings and boo Herod.
And there’s more.
All this is presented in the atmospheric setting of
an ancient church lit by around 400 candles and
with little resort to modern technology. There is
live music from an unseen choir and even a free
glass of mulled wine before the play starts.
Moreover, in the tradition of mediaeval plays,
the audience is encouraged to be part of it all –
especially when the shepherds are on. Because
the seating in the church is re-arranged the
actors can wander freely amongst them and
speak directly to them.
In 2004, Mark Gale, the then drama critic of the
Mid Sussex Times, gave Nativity four awards in
his review of the previous year, including Best
Production in the whole of Mid Sussex.
Ticket details will appear later in the year on
leaflets and posters. Keep an eye open for them
– you won’t want to miss it.
Paul Welch