St Barnabas' CE Primary School Nativity 2013 Props and costumes Narrators Mary Joseph Donkey Gabriel Elizabeth Innkeepers Town people Shepherds Main Star Mini stars Sheep King Herod Wise men Servants Angels Animals Plain black (no logos) Long plain dress Blue headdress Brown/grey tunic Trousers Beard Ears, tail Grey tabard Long white dress Wings Halo Long plain dress Headdress Plain tunics trousers Headdresses Plain tunics/long dresses/shawls Headdresses Baskets Beards as appropriate Crooks Headdresses (checked tea towels) Long, stripy tunics Silver/white clothes with stars Tinsel White top Tights Tinsel Star on forehead Woolly tabards Masks Black tights/leggings/trousers Jewelled crown Purple cloak Something velvety Regal jewelled crowns Cloaks 3 wrapped presents Plain colours (top and trousers same colour) no logos White plain clothes Angel wings Tinsel around heads Relevant ears Grey, brown, white, black plain outfits (tops, tights) - no logos Masks 1
Carol singers stand outside a door and sing: SING We Wish You a Merry Christmas Door opens. NARRATOR 1: Oh I do love Christmas songs, but do you know how this story all began?. Door closes NARRATOR 1: It started with an angel. Over two thousand years ago in Nazareth, a town in Galilee, there lived a young woman called Mary. Mary was going to marry Joseph, a carpenter. One day in her home, Mary was praying quietly when a stranger dressed in white appeared! God sent the angel Gabriel to visit her. SING The angel Gabriel from heaven came GABRIEL: Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you. MARY: Who are you? What do you mean? GABRIEL: Do not be afraid, I come with a message from God. You are going to have a baby boy and you will call him Jesus. He will be wonderful and will be the son of God. The Holy Spirit will cause all this to happen, for with God, nothing is impossible. MARY: How can this be? I am not yet married, what will Joseph say? NARRATOR 2: Mary was shocked and surprised that God had chosen her to have his son, but felt blessed that God had picked her for this special task. The angel Gabriel also told her that her older relative Elizabeth was to have a baby. SING: How Can This Be? (Mary solo, then everyone) NARRATOR 3: Mary got ready and hurried to a town in Judea, where she greeted Elizabeth. Elizabeth was excited to hear that Mary was also going to have a baby. NARRATOR 1: When Mary arrived home to Nazareth, she told Joseph that she was going to have a baby. Mary told him that this would be a special baby that would save all mankind. JOSEPH: I m a bit surprised about this news Mary, but how wonderful that the baby will be the son of God. NARRATOR 2: In those days, the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus needed to know how many people were living in the towns and cities. NARRATOR 3: He issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. Everyone had to return to the town where they were born to register. NARRATOR 3: Joseph had to return to Bethlehem, his family home. He and Mary went on a long journey to reach that place. It was a long and dusty road and Mary had to ride on a donkey as the baby was soon to be born. Play walking music 2
NARRATOR 1: When Mary and Joseph arrived at Bethlehem, it was very busy... TOWN PERSON 1: Dates, dates, buy your fresh dates here TOWN PERSON 2: Olives, delicious ripe olives TOWN PERSON 3: Fresh bread, baked this morning, fresh bread TOWN PERSON 4: Spices, spices, fragrant spices Three kings stand amongst the crowds (buy things discreetly!) NARRATOR 2: After travelling for such a long time, Mary knew that it was time for the baby to be born. Joseph had to work quickly to find somewhere for them to stay for the night. NARRATOR 3: But Bethlehem was so busy because many people had come to the town for the census. As night drew in, people went to their homes and inns and all became still. SING: O Little Town of Bethlehem (Joseph knocks at many doors (pews)) INN KEEPER 1: No room at this inn, be gone with you! INN KEEPER 2: No room at this inn, try somewhere else! INN KEEPER 3: No room at this inn, we re fully booked for weeks! INN KEEPER 4: No room at the inn, go---- JOSEPH: (interrupting) Please help us, we have walked for many miles and my wife s having a baby. Please help. INN KEEPER 4: Oh alright, I can help, but it s only a stable, it s nothing special. NARRATOR 1: Mary and Joseph were delighted and so relieved that they could find shelter and followed the innkeeper gratefully. NARRATOR 2: The stable was dark yet warm and home to many animals. NARRATOR 3: They were very surprised to see Mary and Joseph arrive and even more surprised when Mary gave birth to a baby boy! The animals moved over to make room for the baby and gazed at him, they knew he was special. NARRATOR 1: Mary wrapped the baby in swaddling cloths and laid him in the manger SING: Away in a manger NARRATOR 2: Mary and Joseph gazed at the baby and thought of the angel Gabriel s words. It was hard to imagine that this tiny baby would grow up to be so special to the world. NARRATOR 3: As Jesus opened his eyes and looked around, a star appeared above the stable and shone for miles and miles. Suddenly a host of angels filled the skies with the sound of music. 3
NARRATOR 1: The star was seen by all around including the shepherds who were living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Music... NARRATOR 2: An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them... GABRIEL: Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. SING: Choir: Rise Up Shepherd NARRATOR 3: When the angels had left them, the shepherds said: SHEPHERD 1: Let's go to Bethlehem SHEPHERD 2: And see this great thing that has happened. SHEPHERD 3: Come on lads, gather your sheep! NARRATOR 1: The shepherds soon arrived at the stable where they found Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. They were so excited and wanted to tell the whole world what they had found. SING: Starry Night NARRATOR 2: The shepherds knelt in wonder as they gazed at the special baby. NARRATOR 3: Meanwhile, far in the East, three wise men saw the shining star. (Kings enter from the porch and clap for attention walking down the aisle grandly) NARRATOR 1: They understood it be a sign that a new King had been born, so they began to follow the star with their trusted servants to find Him. NARRATOR 2: On their travels, they came across the palace of King Herod who was the local King. WISE MAN 1: We know a new king has been born. Is he here in this palace? KING HEROD: I know nothing of this, I am the only King around here. But when you find Him, come back and tell me so I may worship Him too. NARRATOR 3: But later the wise men had a dream that King Herod was going to harm the baby, so they decided not to return to Herod s palace. SING: As With Gladness WISE MAN 2: Wow! There's the star, not long now my friends! WISE MAN 3: Have you got the gifts ready for the king? I hope he likes them. NARRATOR 1: After a long journey, the Wise Men arrived at the stable with their precious gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense. 4
WISE MAN 1: This can't be it. WISE MAN 2: This is no place for a King! WISE MAN 3: A stable? I ve never heard anything like it. NARRATOR 2: For once, the wise men weren't as wise as usual. They were indeed at the right place. NARRATOR 3: Jesus didn't need a royal palace to show how special He was. NARRATOR 1: The Wise Men presented their gifts, and knelt alongside the shepherds in awe at the sight of the baby king who was to change the world. NARRATOR 3: All heaven and earth rejoiced at this wondrous moment when the first Christmas began. SING: Ding Dong! Merrily on high! 5