Nativity plays begin

[t1n333]

As nativity plays begin just wondering how teachers cast. Dd reception is a narrator. Is there any rhyme or reason or just a lucky dip?

[HorridHenrietta2]

Narrators are clear confident speakers, sometimes confident readers if a big chunk needs narrating.
Bigger parts need:
Good behaviour, reasonably confident, able to retain lines(children with parents who will help them learn lines is a big bonus!!) able to listen to and follow instructions.
Smaller parts, yes a bit of a lottery although we try to give people a chance if they want to do it.
Singing/musical parts... Usually go on known ability as we don't audition.

[user1476527701]

My ds got the part of Joseph in reception and although it wasn't a big part it was lovely to see him walk across the stage with the nativity party at the end. He's currently in year two and being assesses for asd, the way things are at the minute I wouldn't be surprised if he's barred from this years show

[Wellthen]

Mine are a bit older (year 3) but one thing that parents often forget is that we ASK the children!! I explain that bigger parts will mean learning lines at home, some smaller parts might get to do some singing etc then ask them whether they would like lots of speaking, some speaking or no speaking.

What the part is also makes a difference - last year some of my girls asked for big parts but then point blank refused to be 'wise people' and insisted on being angels who had no lines at all!

I did have some parts who came in with children saying 'he's really sad he didn't get a part' I patiently responded 'I'm sorry to hear that Bobby but I think when I asked you said you didn't want to speak? Is that right?'
The child then gets a look of recognition and says 'oh yeah...I forgot about that'

I know 7 year olds change their minds, realise its more fun than they thought, want to be like their friends and so on. But some kids really hate this stuff so I think asking the kids is important.

[Witchend]

According to MN part allocation goes

Teacher's dc
Governor's dc
Active PTA's dc
The pushy mother who always speaks to the teacher at the end of the day's dc
Thus concludes all the parts that are worth getting...
Everyone else-chorus

In real terms it depends on the school:
In younger years some do it by age (which is why dd1 was Mary (oldest girl) and ds (June birthday) was an exceedingly lively shepherd who, with all the other summer born boys, got so thoroughly into character that they weren't allowed to carry their toy sheep in the performance having used them as offensive weapons in the dress rehearsal)
Some do it by audition
Some do it by teacher's choice
Some do it by asking the children what they want to be and trying to work round it.

Issues with all of them at various times.
They all tend to end with similar children doing the top parts.
Oldest-obviously does
Audition-the best dc tend to stay the best dc
Teacher's choice-they tend to pick the ones they've seen do an okay job before so the same ones get picked again. Also in ds' year they had a Joseph, so he inevitably got the part-despite I don't think he really wanted it.

It's all very well to think that it doesn't matter that it's a school play and it doesn't matter what they're like. But having been to one where the narrators didn't say any word that was audible until they spoke the final words together ("thank you for coming to our play") and another where the soloist was definitely not chosen for their singing voice-and was clearly very aware of this and embarrassed, and another where the very shy child refused to come on stage and teacher ended up reading their lines with them sat beside her, which threw several of the other children who were meant to interact with her.
Actually even if it means that my child doesn't have a good part, I would rather watch children that are doing it well and enjoying doing it.

What I do feel very strongly is that every child should feel they have a part and a costume. For a while mine were at a very large juniors and it inevitable came down to around 10% of the year having several lines, and the remaining 90% sitting at the back and singing songs wearing school uniform. I would have had a choir of 20 angels singing a song, and 20 shepherds/20 sheep etc. And having 10 shepherds with one line each rather than 2 with 5 lines.
Although one year they tried a production where each child had one line each. My dc weren't in that, but the parents who saw it said it was absolutely dreadful and took way too long, mostly because they all spoke through one of two microphones which were passed around-and the children weren't seated in order.

[Tiggles]

I remember DS proudly coming home from school aged 4 telling me he was the narrator in the school play as the teacher said he had 'the loudest voice in the classroom'. Somehow I don't think that was quite the compliment he took it to be .

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

My child had a part where he was the only boy last year and i was a little confused and from what I can work out it might be the same this year. I'm not sure whether it is because he plays with both the boys and the girls but still leaves me confused.

[shatteredstudentmum]

Our y1s do the nativity, they get to audition for speaking or dancing parts. We have 80+ children this year and they all have a costume, it's driving me round the bend as I'm making/ mending and fitting them🙄 but we try to always make sure everyone is involved. The really shy ones who just won't go on stage are usually in charge of props backstage, they tend to like that, and they have a "costume" to wear.