Description

The traditional English carol The Friendly Beasts has been adapted by Debbie Campbell to create a heart-warming and amusing Christmas musical, describing the Nativity from the point of view of a bunch of rather comical animals!

The Nativity is re-told by a number of rather comical animals – gentle doves, self-important cockerell, fluttering birds, wise owls, dozy donkey, street-wise cat and dog, motherly ox, friendly sheep and proud camels – who all played a vital part in this important event.

Cast:To suit the number of performers available, the cast size is flexible with 25 to 30 evenly distributed speaking/singing parts and choruses comprising: Animals (Doves, Cockerel, Birds, Owls, Donkey, Cat, Dog, Ox, Sheep, Camels), Non-speaking (Angel Gabriel, Angels, Mary, Joseph, Shepherds, Three Wise Men) and Choruses (Birds, Street Animals, Stable Animals, Sheep, Angels).

Seven songs and dances explore a diversity of musical styles including gospel, carol, country, calypso, rock ‘n’ roll and old English.

Suitable for Key Stages 1-3. Cross Curricular Aspects include religious education, history, geography, citizenship, music, dance, drama, art and design. The Director’s Book includes the script, lyrics, piano score, costume and staging ideas, along with a CD of vocal and backing tracks, to help enliven the rehearsals and the final performance.