
call time was 12.00pm at Stonleigh Abbey - with Francesca, Chantelle and Andy T Playing parents at a Nativity Play with Martin Clunes and Catherine Tate - wrapped at 6.20pm
Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey?
Cast and crew gathered at Leamington’s All Saints Parish Church to shoot a
key scene.
The church in Priory Terrace doubles as the interior of a New York chapel for
the filming of a Christmas wedding scene.
And its stars Catherine Tate, Martin Clunes, Marc Wootton, Australian
actor/dancer Adam Garcia and Royle Family star Ralph Little were all in
attendance.
The church was transformed into a winter wonderland with white
Christmas trees, white carpets and a Gospel choir from Coventry University. All
the cast were dressed in white dresses and suits.
Doc Martin star Martin looked tanned and slim. Last September he revealed he
had lost a stone in weight last September after catching a virus.
this time the plot involves a school inspection, a love triangle between
Martin, Catherine and Adam, and a school flash mob competition.
Nativity 3 is once again filmed without a script and the actors improvise
their own dialogue.
Nativity 3’s British-Canadian film producer Nick Jones said: “There are
a lot of Hollywood animations out there but we’ve made home-grown British family
Christmas films. We use real kids and people identify with what goes on.
"Debbie’s films are authentic and have a lot of heart. It’s not just for kids
there’s enough for parents and grandparents.
“Nativity 3 is all set around St Bernadette’s in Coventry. There’s an Ofsted
inspection and a new teacher on the same day. The two names get confused - and
the inspector Martin Clunes’ forgets who he is.
“Mr Poppy has to win a school flash mob competition prize trip to New York in
order to get Martin’s character to the altar on time…
“We needed a traditional church and this church is standing in for a church
in New York.
“There’s a lot of music. Debbie and her partner Nick do all the music. The
kids love it – there is real joy in these films.”
Nick also revealed that they had so far “politely declined” offers to make US
and Australian remakes.
He said “hundreds” of children from local and national primary schools and
theatre schools are involved.
Lauren Hobbs, aged eight, from London plays Martin Clunes’ daughter
Lauren.
She said: “Catherine’s (Tate) really funny.”