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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

School Christmas Play

81 replies

Milly22 · 10/12/2012 22:42

Just wondering if schools have the habit of picking the same handful of children to play main roles in every play that comes up in the academic year. Just seen the list for our Christmas play and it's the usual lot yet again and the other 22 are never given the same opportunity.

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MaryPoppinsBag · 10/12/2012 22:53

Maybe the other 22 don't want a part.
My DS(7) wouldn't want a main part. He'd absolutely hate it.

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louise2011 · 10/12/2012 22:55

Same shit at our school. Same ones get all the parts, all the awards etc. My little girl is so desperate to get any recognition but now just seems to have accepted that such & such has the part/award AGAIN- Grrrr. All this happened in my day - I probably got chosen a lot then too. I just think it is so unfair- don't care if my daughter isn't chosen- would just be nice to see some different faces central stage. How can this be good for self esteem?

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ProPerformer · 10/12/2012 23:00

Don't worry - it will set all the budding actors in good stead for if they want to go in to amateur dramatics when they're older! Same thing happens there! (sorry, sour grapes on my part, but true!)

It would be nice to give other kids a chance.

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Milly22 · 10/12/2012 23:01

The nativity this year is based around Snow White and my ds has been told that he's a 'spare' dwarf. He's nearly 9 and would love a bigger role. I'm tempted to give him a 'Red Dwarf' t-shirt from the BBC comedy and sew a 'H' on his hat. He has a sense of humour so would get it!

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clam · 10/12/2012 23:09

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UniS · 10/12/2012 23:11

I'm inclined to agree with DS's teachers thinking that there were only 2 children in the class who would cope with roles that needed them to a - learn lots of lines and b- sing a solo. so those 2 got the 2 lead roles. all others get one or 2 lines and are on stage as part of a small ( or large) group. Next year the whole class will be a chorus / dance group as they will be year 3 and Yr 4 will have the roles.

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Milly22 · 10/12/2012 23:14

In the class we've got an ex MP's grandchildren, music teacher's child, PTA's child, Professor's child, 2 teacher's children and oh yes, a governor's child, no hope for the ordinary working class then really!

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simpson · 10/12/2012 23:18

My DC school only do nativity plays till yr2 (so lots of sobbing at the yr2 nativity when you know your child will not do another!!)

KS2 kids sing carols in the church (near the school)...

DS had a relatively small role in yr2 (was off ill for his yr1 play ) and still had huge anxieties about it about how nervous he was etc etc..

DD is an angel (but don't know how big the role is, I suspect not big as she has no lines to learn just songs -but she is happy). She is in reception btw....but the kids who have the bigger roles are not the same as last year (when they were in nursery) and they are not the ones who get all the achievement certificates either so I think that their school have done a good job

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blackcoffee · 10/12/2012 23:22

I have a R class. We didn't have the pick of parts as we are doing it with older children. None of mine have to do much tbh. But within that I let them choose the parts they wanted, and then let them have a practice to see who managed best (and who took it seriously). I have too many angels for the script but so what! you can never have too many angels!

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wigglywoowoo · 10/12/2012 23:24

My DD last year got starring role of Mary, this year she is a dancer. Our school seems to mix it up a little and there is no obvious favouritism.

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wigglywoowoo · 10/12/2012 23:25

And she is much more excited about being a dancer than being Mary.

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seeker · 10/12/2012 23:25

It's taken longer than I expected, clam!

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blackcoffee · 10/12/2012 23:27

One little boy was desperate to be a vampire. I did have to disappoint him.

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Milly22 · 10/12/2012 23:30

Just ordered DS his 'Red Dwarf' t-shirt and black boots, can't wait to see the teacher's face!

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WhereMyMilk · 10/12/2012 23:30

I'm in the PTA-DS is playing a tambourine... Didn't realise I should pushed for Joseph! :o

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Rudolphstolemycarrots · 10/12/2012 23:33

same in our school -always the same lead children

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Milly22 · 10/12/2012 23:34

Been making soup for the flippin play every year for the PTA for the last 4 years (a way of making money between infants am play and juniors pm play) as the school always holds a 'cafe' style lunch to make money. Never gave them a receipt for my expenses! Will do this year.

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clam · 10/12/2012 23:37

But seeker we've had a slight twist on it this time. Not seen "lead parts only for the middle classes" for a while.

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Clary · 10/12/2012 23:39

I am a governor at my DCs' infant school and was also on the PTA - I too didn't realise my DD should have been Mary not a narrator...

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clam · 10/12/2012 23:40

Erm, what exactly are you saying there, milly? That you've been subbing the PTA for a few years in the hope your child would get a main part, but that now it looks unlikely, you're going to stick in a bill?

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Milly22 · 10/12/2012 23:45

No way Clam!, I was doing it as a favour like most parents do and not that way inclined. It's not the PTA that chooses the cast for plays anyway. There are people who just to it as a favour or personally I just can't be bothered to sort out my receipts that usually build up in the bottom of my bottomless pit of a handbag.

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kilmuir · 10/12/2012 23:51

I always thought the role of Mary was given to the shy child as don't have to say anything

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SuperScribbler · 11/12/2012 07:53

At DS's school all children have speaking parts in the Christmas plays - even in YR. Some have more than others, but everyone gets their moment on stage. It's great for their confidence levels amd lovely for the proud parents.

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Panzee · 11/12/2012 08:02

kilmuir that's how it works in our school.

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Tiggles · 11/12/2012 09:04

The DSs school seem to give the children some choice on parts. DS2 (yr1) was offered a speaking part, but turned it down as he wanted to be an animal. DS1 is in yr6 they are asked to put the hands up if they want a particular part and then the teacher assigns out roles, and it has been the same way since he started juniors.