Nativity is a film series of British independent Christmas family comedy films written and directed by Debbie Isitt, produced by Mirrorball Films and Nick Jones and distributed by Entertainment One.

Films Released films Nativity! (2009)

Paul Maddens is a primary school teacher who once had ambitions of being successful as an actor, producer or director. Every year St Bernadette's Primary School in Coventry, where he teaches, competes with a local private school.

Despite this, St Bernadette's headteacher Mrs Bevans tasks him with running their nativity play this year and gives him a new class teaching assistant called Mr Poppy, who turns out to be as much of a child as the rest of Paul's class. As every year, it is one of Paul's other friends from drama school, Gordon Shakespeare, who runs the nativity plays at rival school Oakmoor.

Determined not to be seen as a failure by his old rival, Paul lies to Shakespeare about how a Hollywood producer, their old friend Jennifer, will be turning his production into a Hollywood film, though he has not even spoken to her in five years. Mr Poppy accidentally overhears this and is so excited that he has to spread the rumour. He proceeds to tell the class, which soon spreads to the entire school, and then the town. Paul does not notice any of the headlines about this on his way to work.

Soon, Paul finds his lie is out of control, and all he can do is go along with it as media attention mounts and the children get more and more excited, so Paul has to try to actually get Hollywood to turn their production into a film.

Danger in the Manger (2012)

Donald Peterson is an anxious teacher who has just moved to a new house with his pregnant wife Sarah. He accepts a teaching job at St. Bernadette's Primary School, taking over the class formerly taught by Mr Maddens, who by this point has left for the United States. In the interim, the enthusiastic and childlike teaching assistant Mr Poppy has been teaching the class unaided.

The class wants to enter a competition called "A Song for Christmas", in which each school produces a Christmas song, with the winning song earning its school £10,000 and the chance at being a Christmas #1. However, headteacher Mrs Bevan refuses the class permission to enter without a qualified teacher and worries that Mr Poppy's behaviour is so inappropriate that no teacher will stay on the job.

When Mr Poppy decides St Bernadette's should enter the National 'Song for Christmas' competition, he persuades Donald to sign the entry forms, later kidnapping him for an impromptu road trip to Castell Llawen ("Merry Castle", not a real place) in Wales, where the competition is being held.

Dude, Where's My Donkey? (2014)

This movie stars Martin Clunes, Marc Wootton and Catherine Tate, with Celia Imrie and Jason Watkins.

At St. Bernadette's school, Mr Poppy and the kids sign up to do a Flashmob in a Flashmob competition hosted by the famous Flashmobber, Bradley Finch. The winning prize will be to go to New York to dance on the Empire States Building.

Jeremy Shepherd is a super teacher (as Desmond Poppy thinks he is) who is the father of Lauren and is due to marry his fiancée Sophie in New York on Christmas Eve. However, Shepard is hit in the forehead by Mr Poppy's pet donkey Archie, and loses his memory.

As Shepard loses his memory, Lauren's wish was to make Shepard marry Sophie, so Mr Poppy and the kids help Lauren make her Christmas wish come true, by helping Shepard get his memory back by his Christmas past, getting to New York until Shepard takes a walk around New York.

Nativity Rocks! (2018)

It was confirmed on 4 December 2017 that Nativity 4 would be released on Friday 23 November 2018, and would be entitled Nativity Rocks!. A teaser trailer was released in July 2018. Casting included; Simon Lipkin, Daniel Boys, Craig Revel Horwood, Meera Syal, Helen George, Ruth Jones, Celia Imrie, Hugh Dennis, Anna Chancellor, Ramin Karimloo, as well as some of the cast from the original theatre musical cast.

Doru, a child refugee from Syria, is separated from his father as he arrives in the United Kingdom. He is moved to Coventry by social worker Miss Shelly and joins St Bernadette's Primary School, where he meets a new teaching assistant, Jerry Poppy, who assists him in his search for his father amid another Christmas musical production for the school, led by impresario Emmanuel Cavendish.

Future In a 2015 interview with Feel Christmassy, before the release of Nativity Rocks!, Isitt stated that the fifth instalment in the series "has been developed" and that it would be set in Australia; she added, however, that she was "uncertain as to if or when [it] will be made". She also hinted on X in 2019 that she had a "Mr Poppy prequel ... on [her] slate". As of 2022, Coventry Telegraph said there had been "no [further] word on a potential fifth film".

Cancelled international remakes Producer Nick Jones revealed that they had so far "politely declined" offers to make American and Australian remakes.

Cast Characters Films Nativity! Danger in the Manger Dude, Where's My Donkey? Nativity Rocks! 2009 2012 2014 2018 Desmond Poppy Marc Wootton Gordon Shakespeare Jason Watkins Patricia Bevan Pam Ferris Paul Maddens Martin Freeman Jennifer Lore Ashley Jensen The Mayor Ricky TomlinsonVincent Franklin Lucy Rye Rosie Cavaliero Donald Peterson David Tennant Roderick Peterson Mr Peterson Snr Ian McNeice Angel Matthews Jessica Hynes Jessica Hynes Sarah Peterson Joanna Page Jeremy Shepherd Martin Clunes Sophie O'Donnell Catherine Tate Bradley Finch Adam Garcia "Uncle Henry" Stewart Wright Clara Keen Celia Imrie Jerry Poppy Simon Lipkin Emmanuel Cavendish Ben Johnson Daniel Boys Suzy Shelly Helen George Clara Hargreaves Anna Chancellor Robert Hargreaves Hugh Dennis Farmer Beatie Ruth Jones

Crew Role Films Nativity! Danger in the Manger Dude, Where's My Donkey? Nativity Rocks! Director/Writer Debbie Isitt Producer Nick Jones Executive Producer(s) Joe OppenheimerLee ThomasDavid M. Thompson Laurence BrownJason GarrettAlex HamiltonDan LawsonGary PhillipsDavid RogersMark Vennis Laurence BrownDaniel Toland Laurence BrownAlexander Hamilton Composer(s) Nicky Ager Debbie Isitt Editor Nicky Ager Release date

Stage musical

A stage musical adaptation of the first film written and directed by Debbie Isitt and composed by Nicky Ager opened at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in October 2017. Since its world premiere the musical has toured the UK over the Christmas seasons, including runs at London's Hammersmith Apollo which have featured guest star celebrities such as Louis Walsh, Danny Dyer, Dani Dyer, Jo Brand, Rylan Clark-Neal and Sharon Osbourne.

Reception

Box office performance

Film Release date Box office gross Budget United Kingdom Other territories Worldwide Nativity $8,412,353 $82,081 $8,494,434 $2,443,493 Danger in the Manger $14,433,981 $14,433,981 $3,657,136 Dude, Where's My Donkey? $11,283,866$11,283,866 Nativity Rocks $4,129,456 $4,129,456 Total $ $ $ $

Critical response Film Rotten Tomatoes Nativity 48% (25 reviews) Danger in the Manger 36% (22 reviews) Dude, Where's My Donkey? 16% (19 reviews) Rocks! This Ain't No Silent Night 0% (8 reviews)

References