| (The initial scene is the traditional nativity with Mary and Joseph and baby centrestage. The shepherds, etc, can either start onstage or enter as they are mentioned. Three narrators do all the talking but a few lines could be delivered by actors if ability and microphones allow). | |
| THREE: | What a circus! Shepherds crowded round, glad to be there, and talking excitedly about the angels that they'd seen. Wise men were close behind them, muttering about some star. The ox and the donkey seemed to want their stable back. The baby kept crying. Mary just wanted to get some sleep. |
| ONE: | In the end, Joseph told everyone to go home and leave them in peace. (Joseph waves everyone away). The wise mens' presents were almost forgotten... |
| TWO: | Almost. (Joseph notices the gifts under his seat and retrieves them. They open them in turn, becoming more and more bemused). |
| ONE: | First, there was gold. |
| TWO: | Not very imaginative but fit for a king. |
| THREE: | At least they could use it to buy what they really wanted. |
| ONE: | Second, there was frankincense. |
| TWO: | Divine perfume. |
| THREE: | Nice, but not exactly what they were hoping for. |
| ONE: | Finally, there was myrrh. |
| TWO: | A spice used to prepare the dead to be buried. |
| THREE: | Wise men, indeed! That gift was going straight back to the shops. |
| ONE: | Still, Mary and Joseph couldn't help wondering: |
| TWO: | What did it all mean? |
| HYMN (for the congregation to sing) | |
| ONE: | The scene in the stable was only the beginning of the story. Jesus grew up. |
| (The scene is the Jordan. The Baptist is on the left and the crowd is on the right. A length of blue crepe paper could be held at waist height as scenery!) | |
| TWO: | What a circus! The river was full of people wanting to be baptised. |
| THREE: | Some thought it'd be cool. (One of the children steps forward wearing shades and is dipped). |
| TWO: | Some thought they ought to do it. (Another steps forward nervously and holds his/her nose to be dipped). |
| THREE: | And some thought it'd change their lives. (Jesus steps forward). When it was Jesus' turn, a voice said: |
| ONE: | This is my Son, whom I love, and I'm very pleased with him. |
| TWO: | Jesus had to go for a long walk in the desert to think about that. (Everyone moves off to the side and Jesus is left alone centrestage. He sits down to think). |
| THREE: | What did it all mean? |
| HYMN | |
| (A couple of children mime fishing at the front of the stage. Another is lying down on the right with others looking after him or her. Yet another is on the left with his/her hands over their eyes. Jesus enters). | |
| TWO: | What a circus! Jesus went on tour. At first he called a few fishermen to follow him. He said: |
| ONE: | Come and catch people. |
| THREE: | And they did. (They follow him over to the right). |
| TWO: | Then Jesus healed the sick. The paralysed walked, (Jesus helps up the one lying down and all of them follow him over to the left where he removes the hands from in front of the other child's face) the blind saw and suddenly Jesus was the centre of attention. (The crowd swarm around him). |
| ONE: | Everyone was astonished. |
| TWO: | What did it all mean? |
| HYMN (optional) | |
| (Jesus stands at the back of the stage, facing forward. Everyone else sits, fanned out to either side). | |
| ONE: | What a circus! People everywhere, covering the hillside, listening to Jesus. He told them stories about God and about life. |
| THREE: | And to make sure they remembered... (Jesus beckons over one of his followers, who gives him a wad of paper/foil fish). |
| TWO: | He fed them all. (Jesus separates the fish and hands them out). |
| ONE: | Another time, some of them were on a boat. (Jesus lies down at the back. The others form a 'V' shape pointing at the audience and sway from side to side). And the weather started getting rough... (The swaying increases). |
| THREE: | Rougher than that... (Chaos!) |
| ONE: | But Jesus (Jesus stands up) told the wind and rain to go away. And they did. (Everything goes still. There is a pause. Everyone turns to Jesus). |
| TWO: | What was going on? |
| HYMN (optional) | |
| (Jesus and Peter are in the centre at the front. The rest (apart from the wise men) form two huddles, to the sides). | |
| THREE: | What a circus! Nobody knew who he was. They whispered and gossiped and came to all kinds of conclusions. |
| ONE: | He's Elijah! (The first huddle breaks and points). |
| TWO: | He's a prophet! (The second huddle does likewise). |
| THREE: | Only Peter really knew. He said: |
| TWO: | You're the Son of God. (Peter kneels). |
| THREE: | Oh, and I suppose those wise men (They rush on) had known, all those years before. They'd brought the incense to prove it. (The wise men give the thumbs up). |
| ONE: | What was going on? |
| HYMN | |
| (Jesus walks very slowly from the back to the front of the stage, the others form a pathway on either side. They wave their arms in the air and shout, 'Hosanna!' He shakes hands with them). | |
| THREE: | What a circus! The crowd was there to see him, shouting and singing and covering the road with their cloaks. |
| TWO: | They treated him like a king. Just as those wise men had done. (The wise men wave at the congregation. Everyone, apart from Jesus and one other, sits down). |
| THREE: | Someone asked him: |
| TWO: | Which of God's instructions are the most important? |
| THREE: | He replied: |
| ONE: | Love God with everything you've got and love those around you as you love yourself. That sums it up. |
| THREE: | The people were flabbergasted. This guy wasn't like the priests and the lawyers. This guy talked sense. |
| TWO: | What was going on? |
| (Jesus kneels on the right. Three others lie asleep behind him. The wise men stand at the back on the left). | |
| TWO: | What a circus! The priests and the lawyers had had enough. (A bunch of children come on from the left and charge over to Jesus and surround him. The sleepers wake up and run away). They came for him at night, when the crowds had all gone home and his friends were all asleep. They took him away. (Jesus is dragged to centrestage). |
| THREE: | You say you're king. |
| ONE: | You say you're God. |
| THREE: | We say you're trouble. |
| ONE: | We say you're dead. (Jesus is pulled down so that he can no longer be seen). |
| TWO: | What was going on? (The mob separates and leaves the stage, leaving Jesus lying on the ground. Pause). They thought the circus was over. The gifts were explained. |
| ONE: | Gold for the king. |
| THREE: | Incense for the Son of God. |
| ONE: | Myrrh for an innocent man condemned to die. (The wise men bow their heads and leave the stage). |
| TWO: | His enemies thought he wouldn't bother them again. |
| ONE: | What was going on? |
| HYMN (during which Jesus remains on stage) | |
| (Everyone stands on the stage in small groups. Jesus gets up and taps someone on the shoulder. They turn and hug him in surprise. The group splits up to tell everyone else and bring them to the centre of the stage). | |
| THREE: | What a circus! The news that he was alive spread like wild-fire and his followers rushed to see. |
| TWO: | They were amazed by what they found. |
| THREE: | And a little scared. |
| ONE: | He was different - more full of love and light than even he'd ever been before. |
| THREE: | Which was saying something. |
| TWO: | He was overflowing with life. |
| ONE: | And he wanted his friends to have it too. |
| TWO: | They still didn't know entirely what was going on... |
| THREE: | But like those shepherds back in the stable... (Everyone kneels around Jesus). |
| TWO: | They were glad to be there and their hearts were filled with joy. (The crowd lift their arms in the air and shout 'Hooray!') |
| HYMN |
A not very traditional nativity play.