Boscombe’s Refugee Nativity returns for fifth year this Christmas

A Boscombe-based theatre group will once again bring an inclusive take on the festive season to the stage, as Refugee Nativity returns for its fifth year this December. 

The production is performed by Celeste, part of the charity Vita Nova. The nativity will take place at Rosebery Baptist Church on 12 and 13 December. 

The cast members are made up from refugee, asylum-seeking and recovery backgrounds. These performers are prepared to bring their unique experiences to the stage. 

Rather than a direct retelling of the traditional Nativity, the play uses the spirit of the Christmas story. Messages of love, hope and joy, help share the real experiences of the cast.

Those who have fled war, faced addiction, or sought a new start in the community have input their stories. 

Director Sharon Coyne told buzz: “It’s become a little bit of a tradition. People keep coming back, it’s part of the Christmas calendar now.” 

“It wasn’t meant to be a thing. the first one was meant to be a one-off, but it just kept rolling,” she added. “It’s quite a big cast. We always wonder if we’ll get all the characters, and then suddenly there’s more than ever.”

I didn’t think I could memorise lines in a language that isn’t mine

17-year-old Ateeq, who played the lead character Omid in Vita Nova’s previous production HopeFool, said he hopes to join the cast this December.

“If I am given the opportunity to be in the December show, I would. I like acting, I like drama. I didn’t even imagine I could do well like this, and I didn’t think I could memorise lines in a language that isn’t mine,” he said. 

Among the performers is also Elena Sapoztinikova, a Ukrainian actress who fled the war and found a new sense of belonging through Vita Nova. 

“When I came here, Vita Nova was the only place in the UK where I could feel happy like breathing again,” she said. “We are one family, one team. We all come from different countries and backgrounds, but what unites us is our feelings and our heart.” 

Sapoztinikova, who previously worked in film and theatre in Ukraine, now helps to organise performances and support others in the group.

“I’m very happy that Sharon gives me the opportunity to invest my energy into something where I see the result,” she said.