Review of Scene 6
On the road to Bethlehem
By Our Man Following a Skoda, Steve Tomkins

A most promising story line this. It didn't look too promising to start with: Mary heading for Bethlehem alone on donkeyback, Joe being stuck in Nazareth filling in the census form, coming to catch her up later.

But what's this? A Skoda appears on the horizon, driven by the dashing young Brian, last seen delivering the BVM and St Elizabeth's unfortunate spam pizza.

A bit of "shoelace-tying" (aka "leg"), and the blessed vehicle is now heading to Bethlehem with Mary and Donkey on board. Plus, I hardly need to add, Fairy Godmother and Sheep 3, pursuing their urgent mission to stay in the spotlight at all costs.

I wasn't alone in detecting a frisson between Mary and Brian, was I? And think about it – he's travelling to Bethlehem in advent 0 AD, the season of census. Could he be of the line of David himself? Course he is! And therefore every bit as good a stepfather for the Son of God as politically challenged (read "sexist slob") Joseph.

Just as well you packed that buzzsaw, Joe. I think you could have a fight on your hands. Could the redemptive suffering of being dumped be what transforms Joseph into a sensitive hero who knows the value of his remarkable wife and is finally worthy of her love? Or will it send him on a killcrazy saw-wielding massacre? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, Evil Twin and Jesus have an enlightening ethical discussion about whether it would be an appropriate use of the latter's deity to "snap those proto-fingers and get us there now. Preferably somewhere with a soft bed and lots of room service." And Mary buys a bag of grass for Donkey from a man behind the petrol station which has interesting effects on his perception of reality.

Finally the car breaks down in the desert and the three of them have to spend the night as comfortably as they can. When Joseph texts Mary to enthuse about the fab limo in which he is Bethlehem bound, then surely the great confrontation is brewing.

© Ship of Fools 2002