Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger

Three years after the first film, Donald Peterson (David Tennant) is an anxious teacher who has just moved to a new house with his pregnant wife Sarah (Joanna Page). He accepts a teaching job at St. Bernadette's primary school, taking over the class formerly taught by Paul Maddens (Played by Martin Freeman in the first film), who by this point has left for the United States; in the interim, the enthusiastic and childlike teaching assistant Desmond Poppy (Marc Wootton) has been letting the kids mess around with him and his childish tactics which causes every supply teacher the school's headmistress Mrs. Bevan (Pam Ferris) has found to leave.

The class wants to enter a competition called "A Song for Christmas" (what song for Christmas?) presented by Angel Matthews (Jessica Hynes), in which each school produces their own Christmas song, with the winning song earning its school £10,000 and the chance at being a Christmas number 1. However, Mrs. Bevan refuses the class permission to enter without a qualified teacher and worries that her nephew, Mr. Poppy's, behaviour is so inappropriate that no teacher will ever stay in the job.

Mr. D Peterson lives in the shadow of his domineering father (Ian McNeice), and his estranged, 'golden boy' identical twin brother Roderick (also played by Tennant), who is a world-famous composer and conductor. When Mr. Poppy decides St Bernadette's should enter the National 'Song for Christmas' competition, he persuades Mr. D Peterson to sign the entry forms, later kidnapping him for an impromptu road trip to Castell Llawen ("Merry Castle", not a real place) in Wales, where the competition is being held.

However, Roderick is also competing in the competition, mentoring the choir of posh St Cuthbert's College. Also Roderick is the main antagonist of this movie. Mr. Shakespeare (Jason Watkins) from Oakmoor School, rival of St Bernadette's, has also entered his class. Mr. D Peterson and Mr. Poppy take their class through the wilds of Wales where they get past obstacles, such as exhaustion, rivers and baby nappies for a baby that one of the children smuggled into the group, to a mountain, which they have to climb over to reach Christmas Castle in time for the show. Meanwhile, as the parents were dismayed by the absences of the children, Sarah and Donald's father come looking for him while Sarah belittles Donald and Roderick's father for his treatment of Donald.

As soon as they arrive Mr. Peterson is reunited with Sarah and Mr. Poppy with his Auntie Pat. However, Roderick is determined to win so he steals the baby and a part of Mr. Shakespeare's song, locks his brother, Mr. Poppy and the class in a giant snow globe and disqualifies them. But the vengeful Mr. Shakespeare and his class help them out, Mrs. Bevan retrieves the baby and St. Bernadette's sing two successful songs while pretending to be Oakmoor. When Mr. Peterson's father and brother come to find him backstage and end up belittling him once again, Mr. Peterson brings up the courage to tell Roderick and his father to shut up after Mr. Peterson slams Roderick about winning the prize, Him, Mr. Poppy and the children having fun on the stage and that it might not be important to Roderick and his awards and reviews, followed by him shouting at Roderick and his father for their less-than-loving treatment of him, and stating that he is happy now that he has a family of his own, which leaves them both gobsmacked. Angel hears the commotion backstage and gets told to shut up by Mr Peterson. She threatens to call security and have them ejected from the building, but Mr. Peterson leaves the building of his own accord, his new family in tow, loudly declaring, "Good night; good luck; Merry Christmas; thank you very much!", Mr. Poppy then goes back to ask Angel for an autograph until Mr. Peterson calls him back and he kisses Roderick, saying "Cheer up, it's Christmas!" and Roderick, feeling severely disgusted, mutters "I'm gonna need a jab!".

As they leave, Sarah suddenly falls into labour and they place her on a donkey they found on the way to the castle and take shelter in a barn (which homages the actual birth of Jesus Christ) where Mr. Peterson helps her give birth to twin boys. Mrs. Bevan and the rest of St. Bernadette's join them, along with Mr. Peterson and Rodrick's father who finally admits he is proud of Mr. Peterson. Back at the castle, Oakmoor wins the 'Song for Christmas' though it should have been St. Bernadette's.

In the barn, Mr. Shakespeare and Roderick show up. As Mr. Poppy and the class sing another Christmas song for Mr. Peterson, Sarah and their new babies, the two brothers finally reconcile and decide to get the family together more often, followed by Roderick placing his half of the locket given to him and Mr. Peterson by their mother which makes Mr. Peterson emotionally happy, Roderick then wishes him a Merry Christmas as the song finishes and Mr. Poppy puts on a deep voice, making it sound like the donkey is saying "Merry Christmas", which gets everyone laughing.

• David Tennant as Donald Peterson/Roderick Peterson, estranged twin brothers
• Marc Wootton as Desmond Poppy, the primary school assistant and Mrs Bevan's nephew
• Jason Watkins as Mr. Shakespeare, a teacher at rival school Oakmoor
• Joanna Page as Sarah Peterson, Donald's wife
• Ian McNeice as Mr. Peterson Snr., Donald and Roderick's father
• Jessica Hynes as Angel Matthews, an opera singer and presenter of 'A Song For Christmas'
• Pam Ferris as Mrs. Bevan, the school headteacher and Desmond's aunt

Mr. Peterson's Class Appeared as Mr. Maddens' class in the first movie:

• Ben Wilby as Bob
• Brandon McDonald as Olly
• Caitlin Cronin as Lucy
• Dominic McKernan as Dan
• Ellie Coldicutt at Beth
• Faye Dolan as Jade
• Joe Lane as Edward
• Joshan Patel as Bill
• Maeve Dolan as Sam
• Michael McAuley as William
• Milly Webb as Neve
• Morgan Brennan as Charlotte
• Reece Stowe as Fraser
• Sydney Isitt-Ager as Sadie
• Tomas Ferris as Charlie

New children:

• Jesse Donohoe as Jesse
• Pixie Davies as Pixie
• Joseph West as Joseph
• Kyle Johnson as Tommy
• Louise Blunt as Little Lucy
• Mason Daw as Mason
• Mason Simpkins as Mason

Mr. Shakespeare's Class

• Adrianna Bertola as Adrianna
• Eleanor Grant as Eleanor
• Ethan Smith as Ethan
• Freddie Watkins as Sebastian
• Grace Hollis as Grace
• Jessica Horton as Jessica
• Jessica Mogridge as Jessica
• Olivia Chu as Gracie
• Cerys Glover as Megan
• Samuel Waters as Sam
• Samuel Young as Samuel
• Scott Folan as Scott
• Shannon Maguire as Shannon

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger was theatrically released on 23 November 2012 by Entertainment One, and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 18 November 2013 by Entertainment One.

When the film was released in the United Kingdom, it opened on #3, behind The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 and Skyfall.[6]

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! was filmed over the course of six weeks in October and November 2011, being filmed in England and Wales.[7]

Prior to filming starting, writer/director Debbie Isitt and actor David Tennant spent a week in Coventry,[8] spending time in real classrooms and with school choirs and plays, and helping with the auditions for the child roles. Filming began in Coventry on 15 October 2011 and filmed there for a fortnight.

On 29 October, the production moved to north Wales[9] for another fortnight, filming in various rural locations, including at Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Pistyll Rhaeadr and Lake Vyrnwy. The stable scenes were filmed at Avoncroft Museum in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.[10] The production then moved to its final location in Warwickshire, where they filmed at Warwick Castle (standing in for St. Cuthbert's College) and in Stratford-upon-Avon.[11]

The film was originally going to be called Nativity 2: The Second Coming, as of January 2012 but the title was changed later the same year to Danger in the Manger!

The competition scenes were filmed in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Courtyard Theatre. Filming ended on 29 November 2011. The film was shot in the improvised style, with no proper script, and the actors not being told the narrative ahead of time, but having the plot revealed to them bit by bit as filming progressed.[3]

A third film in the series began filming in November 2013, entitled: Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?. It was released on 14 November 2014 and starred Martin Clunes.[12]

• List of Christmas films

• Nativity 2 at IMDb
• Official website