Aspects Of Christmas

Overview

Plot Summary

After the school bell rings (song – Ring The Bell) to signal the end of the Autumn term, five friends stop off at the park on their way home. With the ‘big day’ not far off, they talk enthusiastically about what the holidays have in store. With their conversation as a backdrop we witness different families in some very recognisable, often hilarious situations, as each aspect of Christmas is discussed.
The first family’s excitement at putting up the Christmas tree is slightly clouded by the fact that it seems to have got considerably shorter after a year in the loft! Still, Dad’s frustration keeps the rest of the family smiling while Mum solves the mystery of the shrinking tree. (song – Our Christmas Tree)
The children of the second family we meet are eager to get to bed on Christmas Eve, not only so they can get up exceptionally early the next morning, but so they can leave Mum and Dad, and the exuberant Uncle Ted and Aunty Rita, to enjoy a ‘little drink’ downstairs. (song – I Wish That Time Could Fly) As the evening and night draw on, they are filled with that familiar excitement and anticipation about what Christmas morning will bring.
Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (despite not sleeping), children in pyjamas and dressing gowns then hit the stage, eager to see what’s under the tree! They don’t have to wait long, and quickly dive in and start unwrapping …..and rapping! (song – The Christmas Gift Un-Rap)
Then it’s time for lunch, which for our next family is a feast of the highest calibre. Mum’s on a diet though, and is resisting the temptation to over-indulge…..at least that’s what she’s told everyone! (song – Get Stuck In)
Next it’s a flash-back to the early 1970s, when according to the ‘older generation’, it snowed every Christmas…..and chicken tasted like chicken, and children behaved themselves, and summers were always hot! As Mum and Dad enjoy the vibe of the groovy new seven-inch single they’ve bought, their children, Harmony and Wildflower, spot the chance to escape to the garden and literally ‘chill out’! (song – It’s Snowing)
The final family we meet reminds us that there is a gentler side to Christmas, in which we find the reason behind all the celebrations and fun. (song – Born On Christmas Day) Having said that, they round off proceedings by inviting the neighbours over for an all-singing, all dancing, turkey sandwich-feasting knees-up, (song – Party On) reminding us that ‘in less than fifty-two weeks it starts all over again! Yeh!’