Christian Christmas Plays & Nativities

When I was in year 2, I played Jesus’ Grandmother in a slightly alternative nativity play. I actually shared the role with my identical twin, I left the stage during a song and she walked back on, a swap so seamless the lady sat next to my mum didn’t realise there were two of us!

I’m not sure how Biblically accurate the addition of Jesus’ maternal grandparents was. Or the 2nd Lobster included in my favourite Christmas film. But I think we can all agree that a good Nativity play is a Christmas staple.

But with the chaos of the festive season: the present buying, carol service attending, tree decorating, mince pie baking and everything else that goes into the festive season, it can be a little difficult to find time to write and prepare a whole play. We’ve pulled together a collection of one-stop resources to at least make this one task on your to-do list just a bit easier.

The No-rehearsal Nativity

It’s a nightmare to get everyone together. Susie has ballet on a Wednesday but Harry has karate on Thursday, so what do you do when it’s impossible to get the entire cast in one room apart from for the performance?

Enter the No-Rehearsal Nativity! It includes a full script, advice on preparation, publicity and staging, and options to set the play within a Christingle or crib service.

A 'no-sew nativity' appendix provides instructions and templates for making simple costumes on a budget.
6 Minute Nativity

Another time-saving resource! The 6-minute nativity combines the Christmas story in an all-singing, all-dancing action-packed blink of an eye!

Compiled by Sarah Watts, author and artistic director of the National Youth Music Camps, 6 minute Nativity is ideal for assemblies, lunch clubs and all-age segments.
Top Tips for a Tip-Top Nativity

The ultimate ‘go-to’ resource. Packed full of tips, suggestions and guidelines for a polished Christmas performance. Here you will find guidelines, dos and don'ts, practical workable suggestions, together with ready-made scripts and simple songs.
A Really Noisy Nativity!

If your congregation is more riotous than reflective, A really Noisy Nativity is for you! A fun, lively and interactive Christmas musical, written to get children to sing, join in with sound effects and generally be loud! The story can be performed in two different ways, with more or less adult interaction, depending on the age and confidence of the children and number of performers.