Parents and children alike were enchanted by T1’s rendition of their Russian Christmas story, Babushka. Babushka lived in the countryside and opened her door, one snowy night, to find three men standing before her. She wanted to join them in giving gifts to the King of Kings but had too much cleaning to do. T1 parents were invited to watch in person and the rest of Byron House enjoyed the Nativity being live-streamed to their own classrooms.
The title character, Babushka, is an old lady who lives in Russia. She cleans her house all day long to stop herself noticing how lonely and sad she is. She is so busy brushing away the spider, the mouse and the fly that she fails to notice beautiful things around her: a new star shining in the sky, an angel hovering in her garden and an exciting message being spread by three mysterious kings. In a dream, an angel sings to Babushka of a baby boy born in a manger. Horrified to think of this baby shivering in a dirty stable, she sets off with a basket full of presents and cleaning materials. On her journey she meets people in need and by the time she reaches Bethlehem she has learned a valuable lesson, as well as filling an empty place in her heart.
The Nativity provided a variety of roles for the children to inhabit and they responded to the challenges with enthusiasm and commitment. The on-stage action was interwoven with songs and dancing, carried off with notable confidence. Anyone who saw Babushka will agree that the final performance really left the stage as the children threw themselves into the story, with many of the T1s even improvising new lines and actions. One member of the audience said, “Babushka was a real treat and was it was so special to be able to see every single child relishing being part of this production.” One of the children commented, "I loved it when Babushka said, 'Am I bovered?' because it always made us laugh and laugh."
