A decent piece from the Guardian on the dearth of plays about Jesus. Theatrical plays, not pageants, although that’s the inspiriation.

Given that most of our leading playwrights, directors and actors have at some point appeared in a Nativity play during their formative years, it’s surprising more of them haven’t been drawn to tell the story of the Nativity, or other aspects of the life of Christ, in their adult work.

"When you grow up in Ireland," says Feehily, "it’s so much part of the culture that you don’t think about it. I wouldn’t think about stepping back from it in that way. I mean I didn’t even question the Resurrection until I was 17, despite the best efforts of my brother."

Playwright and director David Farr, who has staged many of the world’s great mythical tales, is an exception, and has adapted and staged the story of the Nativity for the Young Vic theatre. "I was passionately Christian between the ages of 10 and 14," he says, "although my family were agnostic. And although I don’t believe any more, I still think the Bible is full of wonderful stories."

But Farr points out that it was initially difficult to attract an audience to his Nativity. "People of other faiths felt, ‘This is a Christian story – it’s not for us.’ The atheists were put off because they were worried it might be too preachy, and the Christians were suspicious that we’d just be taking the piss. So really we fell between absolutely every stool going."

Playwright Dennis Kelly, whose comedy Coupling is currently on BBC3, agrees that the British have a deep suspicion of Christianity. "I love Jesus," he chuckles. "I’d love to write about him. To me he’s a bit like Osama bin Laden meets Gandhi. Nobody has a problem with other faiths. My girlfriend’s a Buddhist and if I say, ‘She’s off meditating’, nobody blinks. But if I said, ‘She’s off praying’, everyone would think she’s a bit mad."