A new ‘pop’ musical nativity, written specifically for large casts and older children, has been published by local writer/actor/director Jill Priest.

Following last Christmas’s sell-out production of AlterNativity at the Maltings Arts Theatre in St Albans, Jill responded to requests to publish the show for other schools, theatre groups and churches

The musical can now be purchased from its dedicated website www.alter-nativity.co.uk or alternatively go to www.facebook.com/AlternativityMusical.

AlterNativity tells the traditional Christmas story via a funny script interspersed with songs in different ‘pop’ music styles – from rapping angels to R&B sheep – in a way that is cool enough to appeal to young adults and brings the nativity bang up-to-date.

As an experienced director, Jill has included everything in the production package to make life easy for future producers – including demo and backing track CDs, costume suggestions, production notes and a demo DVD of last year’s production by the OVOTeens for ideas on staging and choreography.

Jill said: ‘I originally wrote the musical to give every child in a cast of 90 a role to play and because I saw a need for quality, up-to-date material that the cast would enjoy performing as much as the audience would enjoy watching.

“I would love for other local groups of young people to experience that opportunity.”