A TRADITIONAL Christmas play is returning to Aldermaston for its 66th year of performances.

Taking place at the parish church St Mary the Virgin from December 1 to December 4, the York Nativity Play will see members of the Aldermaston community and the surrounding area come together to tell the story of the first Christmas.

The play adapts a number of plays from the medieval York Mystery Play cycle.

Director Chris Boott said: “The play we are doing is an adaptation of eight or nine stories that make up the Nativity, the story of the first Christmas.

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“So, it’s medieval in its origin, the church is medieval, the costumes we have are medieval, and the music is of that medieval-renaissance period; carols that are well known but are very old.”

He added: “It tells that story of the first Christmas in a very human way with the bits that you know, the kings and shepherds turning, Gabriel the angel is there, and of course Mary and Joseph on the pony.”

Originally started in 1957, the play has been performed by members of the community for 66 years and was started by Pat Eastop and Reverend Stanley Young when they decided that the village needed a nativity play.

Pat found the script and designed the play to suit Aldermaston, going on to direct it for a remarkable 57 years, turning it from a novel one-off into an embedded local tradition.

Chris called the play “a quiet Christmas space away from the commerciality of shops, news, of the intensity of modern life.”

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He continued: “Hopefully it will lift people’s hearts.”

Several of the performers will be returning to roles they have held for many years, with the longest-serving performer being Lesley Woodley, who is returning to the role of "third shepherd" for the 60th year.

Meanwhile, the role of Mary will be played by Charley Henkey for the first time.

Tickets for the play are free, although the group does ask that a donation is given at the performance to help with the upkeep of the church.

Tickets can be acquired by visiting aldermastonnativity.co.uk or by emailing tickets@aldermastonnativity.co.uk.