Liverpool Nativity: the morning after

I went to Liverpool Nativity yesterday in William Brown Street in Liverpool. It was quite an experience. I was very impressed with the acting and singing of Jodie McNee as Mary. Geoffrey Hughes did a good job as Gabriel, though he seemed lost occasionally. Jennifer Ellison sang well but messed up some of her lines.

I want to comment on Liverpool Nativity as a contribution to the cultural life of Liverpool. This was the first real event of Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008 and I was thrilled that the year began with an affirmation of Christian faith. For the Biblical Christian the telling of the tale wasn't perfect, but it was well done. The identity of this miracle baby wasn't made very clear, though that's surely how it was in the early days of Jesus' life: people came to realise who he was through his words and actions and supremely though his resurrection.

Comments on this blog have said that the event was "blasphemous". I truly can't see anything blasphemous about Liverpool Nativity. This was a piece of drama staged by the BBC, a secular organisation, and it contributed to the Christian culture of our city. Wake up, people! This is something to celebrate, not to carp over. When would the church ever be able to stage a show as professional and expensive as this, and then get it shown live on national television? Christians should be praising this for what it was and what it did well, not looking for theological faults.

Liverpool Nativity is repeated on BBC ONE on Sunday 23rd at 10.45pm. Video it or watch it with some friends and then talk about what was good and not so good about it, and see where the conversation leads.

This blog is about conversation, so please do add a comment (you can do so as "anonymous" if you're not registered with Google). I will reply to the comments and I hope others will do so as well.

Liverpool Nativity tomorrow

Liverpool Nativity is coming to town tomorrow and I'm very excited about it. Despite what some paper columnists have said, it's going to be an authentic contemporary telling of the nativity story. The scale of it is impressive, with 500 people involved in cast and crew. Some of the cast are big names, while others are inspired choices. Jodie McNee and Kenny Thompson will be excellent as Mary and Joseph; Geoffrey Hughes as Gabriel seems to be just the right choice, even though quite a few others were approached to play the part before him.

But what concerns me here is how effective it will be as a piece of Christian communication. I believe it will hit all the right notes. It is faithful to the Bible accounts, retaining the miraculous, virginal conception and all the major characters. The magi appear at the stable with the shepherds, which isn't how it happened, but that has been artistic licence since Francis of Assisi.

The fact the the BBC have put time, effort and most of all money into this project is to be commended: well done BBC for not just giving us tales of snow and Santa. This Nativity is one to watch, to record and to savour.