TIM Firth’s thoroughly amusing comedy has adult actors playing the cast of a junior school Nativity play, squabbling and hamming it up as one might expect, but singing familiar carols with words adjusted to reflect their lives.

However, he goes a step too far when he introduces the children’s parents. This gives us little new information and it’s hard to imagine how director Janet Feat could have made this work; perhaps their childishness could have trumped that of the kids somehow, but the script is a little too thin for that.

Highlights include Steve Cosier’s Joseph breaking character with an endearing grin, Clare Britton’s uncannily convincing little girl voice, Helen Ford’s singing, Danni Fletcher’s seriousness as “Mary” and Becky Mills’s angelic bitchiness.

Tim Cox-Walker steps in front of the lights to play the narrator, and proves a charmingly unaffected performer.

Sound, set and Nick Vaughan’s piano accompaniment also deserve praise.