Cooking up a storm with a wooden spoon nativity play

Hope rises from the stress of this pandemic and its lockdowns in the shape of wooden spoons.

Four years ago, Margaret Stevens wrote an ambitious nativity play in rhyming couplets. Performed in a barn near Ludgvan, with requisite farm animals, the play was a triumph. But repeating the event in these Covid times just isn’t possible.

A re-cooked rhyming couplets script

So stirring through the possibilities with the original team, Margaret came up with the idea of wooden spoons taking the starring role. In a fabulously creative burst of activity and collaboration, the team have re-cooked the script, described by Margaret. Together, they have produced a fully portable wooden spoon nativity film that can be used by schools and churches across the advent season.

Community collaboration

It’s been an inspiring community effort for the Mount’s Bay Benefice, worked through with Covid restrictions in place. Jane Goodhead from Marazion, the original wardrobe mistress, has dressed all the spoons in glorious detail. Daughter Izzy helped with the stick-on facial expressions, and husband Clive made little stands to keep the performing spoons in place.

Diana Purchas, an artist based in Perranuthnoe, has painted the beautiful backdrops, inspired by the Victorian Bible story illustrator William Hole. Revd Linda Garthwaite has revived her role as narrator, this time with husband Mark, Margaret directed the puppets and took the photos and Ed Oates has bound the recipe with audio and visual IT skills.

A fabulously creative wooden spoon nativity film free to all

The resulting film is delightful. You can see a sneak preview below. If you would like to use the full 15 minute version for school assemblies or within church services or even in care homes, please contact Margaret or follow the link on the Mounts Bay website, where the film is freely available and downloadable, or should that be as a take away?