Babe in the Manger

Running from Thursday 12 until Saturday 14 December, Babe in the Manger is an original creation of Anne Middleton, the Performing Arts Mission Enabler of the Plymouth & Devonport Methodist Circuit.

“Ding Dong panto people, who rang my bell?” joyfully says Dame ‘Choosy Susy’ the most traditional panto character of the play. Played by Revd Darren Middleton – as seen on the cover of the latest Connexion magazine for his New Places for New People project Rev7 – Susy brings fun and engagement with the public.

The room in Pennycross Methodist Church in the South West Peninsula Methodist District was full on Friday evening, from toddlers to their grandparents. Families, church members, friends and families of cast members and youth groups – the community came together to enjoy Babe in the Manger.

Bailey, seven years old, loves all the characters—from Mary and Joseph to Susy—with the obvious exception of King Herod, who was systematically booed. Bailey gleefully participated in helping Susy, notably by screaming with everyone else, “Ding Dong,” when someone rang the bell of the Inn.

“It's a nice, lovely, fun way of telling the nativity story to youngsters. It's a good way of showing them a story, but in a fun way, which keeps them engrossed and having them join the story,” adds Daniel who came with a group of children and some parents.

The Ding Dong Merrily Inn is on the left of the stage and Jack’s Shack (the barn where Mary and Joseph find shelter) is on the right. The town of Bethlehem is in the background and the Guiding Star is on top. The cast has all the obvious Christian characters – Mary, Joseph, Herod, two Roman soldiers, the three Kings and four angels – and panto characters – Susy, Jack, the villagers, the cow Daisy and the live music band who are also the barn animals!

More than being only funny, Babe in the Manger offers beautiful songs, either well-known ones like Oh Holy Night, new words on well-known tunes and a brand new song from Anne Middleton and Rob Young – who previously collaborated on the play Bloomin’ Church – Seed of Love / Unstoppable, a duet for Mary and Joseph.

For Gareth, “it's nice to see something different. The panto dialogues are excellent and it’s all done very cleverly. It’s also great to see and hear new talents.” He refers here to Mary (Erin Marshall), Joseph (Rhys Turner) and the angel Gabriel (Grace Middleton) – three excellent singers whose singing talent offer a great balance to all the panto jokes.

“Susy is spectacular and Mary and Joseph have beautiful voices. It's a very wonderful and entertaining experience,” concludes Gary who saw Babe in the Manger twice.

You can read more about the work of Anne Middleton, Performing Arts Mission Enabler (PAME) for the Plymouth and Devonport Methodist Circuit, on the PAME Facebook page and on the Performing Arts Mission webpage.