My dc hasn't got starring role - it's so unfair'

[stoatsrevenge]

AIBU to be mighty pissed off by the number of threads on this? How many Marys were there in Bethlehem FGS?!

Your time may come, DD2 was a pig in the stable last year (why exactly would Jews have been breeding pigs???) but on the day we went she had instant promotion to Mary as Mary had thrown up that morning :) V happy for us and the other girls' mum as she'd already seen her daughter be Mary the previous day.

My gripe at school was why they always picked the pretty blonde girls for Mary - yep, bet there were blondes a-plenty in BC Middle East...

I had a leading role as the Christmas dragon at my school play - I don't know what it says about my looks as I had to wear a papier mâché dragon head.

My dc's school does a full school show, with each class participating in the story at some point in the play. Some just sing, some have parts, ds is in with the angels, he has mild sn and was completely unwilling to participate, but we have told him he is a weeping angel from Dr Who, so he is quite happy with that - school doesn't mind as long as he participates!

I just let DD get on with it and turn up when the time is right.
she's been a monkey, a chinese girl and a sheep. whatever she is I cry [embarrassed]

Aw, Flori - not even the First Leprous Beggar?

That play sounds like a barrel of laughs!

I was Mary about four times :D I think it was more because I was the slightly geeky one who they felt sorry for than anything else. Also, I had long blonde hair. I had a slightly alarming ability to memorise whole pages of lines as well.

Doesn't make up for always being THE UGLY SISTER or THE MAN in my drama club plays. Grr. Just cos I couldn't dance.

Lol, so resentment all round, really :D

DD is shepherd 4 this year, and not overly thrilled.

DS however is "Jesus" in his nursery nativity. Am not quite sure how this will work. Nor what to dress him in.

As atheist Grandpa pointed out at least it's nativity not Easter play though.

DD(4) angel in the kindergarten production this year. DH can't make it as he's in hospital that day. :(

She has been practicing her line so hard. Its tough, being an angel.

DS(7) peaked early with a donkey role last year, so our hopes are with DD. Move over Juliet Stephenson.

DS (6) is delighted to be 'village child no.4', and he only has to wear a white shirt and not a white shirt AND a hat like village parent no.4.

DD2(aged 4) is busy practising for her nativity play...but has got a bit confused along the way. She is now scared of Mary, and wants to know why Jesus didn't like Mary and had her head chopped off! DD1 (9) has just done a Tudor play........

Dd is a sheep she is delighted I think the roles are decided probably on size as the tiny ones get the sheep outfits borrowed from infants.She usually hates being smallest in her class (and the school) but it has saved her from wearing a brown dressing gown and a teatowel on her head for which she is truly grateful.

You've all cheered up my day. MN at its best! Thank you to all the schools who persist in asking children to dress up as mince pies/camels/innkeepers/kangaroos and provide this wonderful entertainment for those of us whose dcs are now too old to care

(A bit of sympathy for those who are still negotiating their way through it all, but lots of !)

Just discovered the 'Second Leprous Beggar'. Priceless.

In my dim and distant part if you were dark of hair you could be Mary. The flaxen haired children were always angels. In my school it was all down to hair colour.

DS1 - Badger last year (?), Some sort of rave dancer this year - wearing his new xmas outfit so 2 birds with one stone. The play usually has some sort of connection with the Nativity - I think.

My dd (blonde so I assumed would be an angel) is to be a snowflake. I am thrilled, and we're bigging up snowflakes because most of her friends are angels.

She told us the school did the costume and naive first-timer that I am I believed her. She even told us that they tried the costumes on. Friday came back from school with a note saying she needs a white top and leggings in a bag by Monday. Apparently this is to go under the costume!

I never buy her white clothes - I can't see the point. And I was b** if I was going to go shopping to buy them, especially as my parents were down for the weekend. I managed to send a white t-shirt with stains I can't get out that actually thinking about it now she can't get over her head anymore, and a white vest in case it wasn't ok. And cream tights.

But we are really looking forward to it! She is small though so I must prepare dp for the fact that we probably won't be able to see her behind Whoopsie Daisy Angel (?) and all the other parts!

In his first year at pre-school, ds3 was a lamb. I made him a tunic of curly lamb-like funfur, with ears on a headband, and he wore white tights underneath.

On the day he refused point blank to wear the ears, and then burst into tears as soon as the play started, and dh had to go and sit with him amongst the other lambs (and one mum, whose dd also wouldn't perform without a parent).

Ds3 sobbed throughout most of the performance - he was the saddest little lamb in Bethlehem. Oh, and that year ds2 was Joseph, and dMIL had come to stay in order to see her grandsons' starring roles!

And I am loving the mince pie, the second leprous beggar, and especially the gritty realism of the fucking donkey!! Any chance of a video?

DD is a sheep. Bah.

Baaaaaaaah....

At least the school provides the costume.

StayingDTGIrl - I used to love making costumes, but unfortunately I really can't bring myself to do it when I can pick up one in Sainsburys for £8. DD3 is an angel in the pre-school nativity, she has a very angelic looking costume - creamy white long sleeved long dress and gold wings velcro-ed on the back. I couldn't have made it for that (and would struggle with the time)

I was a bit to see DD's name on the list as donkey - until she came out ecstatic and informed me she was the WHOLE donkey. Always cried too much to see her anyway.

My son was Joseph at church nativity last year and we had a real baby! Mum (of baby) was very brave letting a 7 year old hold a 4 month old but she had just been given a bottle and was sound asleep by the time she was handed to Mary.

I'm just glad we didn't decide to have a real donkey with the new carpet!!

I'm with you "Notquitegrownup" this is a great MN thread, and has made me laugh while at home with horrible bad cold ( to back up my case as you don't know who might be on here [:)] )

Love the second leprous beggar, all the animals,mince pies etc, parts given by hair colour of child, proud Mums, and happy donkeys !

Happy memories of DD1 being a very happy and pretty snowflake BTW !

The irony was that I never even got to play the leprous beggar on stage: I got flu the week of the nativity play (I'm fairly sure it wasn't psychosomatic! ) and my friend who was playing Leprous Begagr # 1 (more lines but presumably also more advanced leprosy) had my part consolidated into hers. I was only incidental to the plot... [sniff!]

My little boy is a star in his school play. It don't matter what they are, Im so chuffed for him and I'm gonna watch and probably cry!

Haven't read the thread in full yet, but had to add my own personal nativity experience.

When I was about 5 I was chosen to be Mary. I had the full kit - blue dress, white head scarf, Jesus doll and even got pulled down the church aisle on a donkey on wheels by my Joseph (whose real name was Kevin).

The following year I fully expected to revive my starring role. But no. I was cast as an angel. Not even Gabriel, just one of the background angels. Needless to say the trauma resulted in me turning my back on what would have no doubt been a stellar acting career .

If you look at the photos of the second Nativity play (which my mum still has), you can just pick out a VERY sulky angel in the back row