Hall for Cornwall: Nah-tivity, HfC Young Company

 I like to go to the theatre and I often browse the events coming up at the Hall for Cornwall.  This was one of those random events I really wanted to go to after reading the description.  In the summer, we went to two productions at the Minack Theatre.

The first was Les Miserables, which was put on by an amalgamation of several local amateur dramatics groups.  Everyone know Les Miserables and it's a lot to live up to but I really believe that the cast did as well as any west end production.  

The second was Tommy done by the British Theatre Academy.  We like the Who but had not listened to the music for Tommy as a whole in forever and I don't think we really thought about the plot.  It was deeply emotional and a little disturbing in places.  It is not a comfortable watch.  What made the production all the more incredible is it was a youth theatre group from London and again, they were just as polished and talented as any adult cast of professionals.

I think sometimes amateur dramatics and youth groups struggle  to find their audience because people expect them to be, amateurish.  I have noted how the introduction of a Strictly star to a production draws in the crowds but does not necessarily elevate the performance.  I am not saying that they bring it down, but...  you compare their acting skills to the rest of the cast and you can see it's not their primary talent.  It doesn't take away from the enjoyment...  but I think people are slow to support productions they would otherwise really enjoy, because they just don't want to take a risk on unknowns.  But with youth theatre, unless you have a personal connection, how are they going to be familiar?

So back to Nah-tivity.  A youth performance that was £5 was a bit of a easy decision.  Its good to support young talent.  It was slow to sell and they didn't fill the whole of the stalls but it's a huge theatre and they didn't need to fill it.  The Hall for Cornwall released seats in stages, so the audience was grouped together, not spread out.  I expected the audience to be a large percentage of people who knew the cast and it probably was.

When we got in to the theatre, there was a buzz, you could tell people were expecting to enjoy the show.  And we did.  I probably laughed more than I have done at many comedians shows.  I don't think any comedian can replicate the energy of a cast of teenagers having fun and I don't think an adult could get away so easily with some of their jokes.

Was it polished and professional....  no.  But actually, that was the point and it was completely played up to, it was part of the plot.  I have no doubt the cast could absolutely do polished and professional if that was required in a production.  

One of my favourite parts was the river of Babylon.  There were large pieces of fabric waving around and the whole cast, except the responsible one who was trying to keep the rest in line, were on stage hamming it up in the river.  The responsible one came on and told them off.  Some of them got tangled in the fabric and one of the cast was completely rolled up in it and was rolled off stage.

Herod was another highlight.  He was desperate all the way through to have the part of Herod.  He first came on processing from left to right at the back to Darth Vader's music.  A line of people separated him from the audience so we could only see his very tall crown.  Then he went across the middle of the stage from right to left, before coming on at the front...  wearing a muscle vest....  to discover he only had one line and it was actually only one word...

Joe was also great as he had his transformation into a man who could accept having a child he was not the father of.  He discovered he was in fact that he was, and always had been, 100% faithful.

So yes, if you want some irreverent fun and you are not going to be upset by the nativity story being updated, a lot, go.  Don't take young children, this one is not for them.  The write up gives the impression this is one that happens each year.  I don't think I will have any trouble persuading my husband to go again next year.

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