A skeptical Mary, a reluctant Joseph and three wise men bearing gifts of ham — this isn’t your typical Christmas pageant!

Driftwood Player’s upcoming production The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is more bedlam than Bethlehem, and that’s just the way director Ingrid Bilton likes it.

“With 25 youngsters between the ages of four and 14, it can get a little hectic,” laughed the retired drama teacher after another rambunctious rehearsal. “I’ve worked with kids all my life and this group is just so mature and really talented beyond their years. It’s an extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime group of kids and the energy level is amazing. I find it absolutely rejuvenated — after four hours with these kids I feel more energized than when I started.”

The cast has been rehearsing since mid-September, with performances scheduled for Dec. 9 to 16 at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever tells the story of six rough-and-tumble (some might say delinquent) siblings who take over the Christmas pageant, to the consternation of the church ladies and the hapless pageant co-ordinator.

“This play has everything — a funny yet poignant story with real human drama, and characters that are absolutely genuine and believable,” Bilton said. “Barbara Robinson, the author of both the original book and the stage adaptation, helps us see the Christmas story in human terms so that all people can relate. It transcends the traditional Christmas story and never preaches.”

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a co-production of Driftwood Players and the Driftwood Theatre School, with young singers from Choralations Choir lending their voices to the choir of angels. Start-up financing was provided with a grant from the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation. 

Tickets are available at Gaia’s Fair Trade and Laedeli Gifts in Gibsons and the Sechelt Visitor Information Centre at $15 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under.

For more information call 604-886-2543.

— Submitted