Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my friend is taking the Nativity play a bit too seriously

195 replies

justfloatingpast · 14/11/2018 16:36

She's been on the phone to me for ages complaining that the part of Mary has gone to a girl who only joined the school a few weeks ago and her daughter has asked to be Mary for the last three years (she's 8) and has never been cast and it's really not fair etc etc etc

I presume practically every girl in the class puts their hand up when asked who wants to be Mary this year, and the teacher has to pick one child.

My friend is really annoyed and wondering if she should say something to the teacher. Her daughter isn't a child who's constantly being overlooked. She plays on the school football team and was part of a group who won a prize for a project and were featured in a local newspaper.

AIBU to think she's over reacting and should just let it go?

OP posts:
LaBelleSauvage123 · 15/11/2018 20:25

I was Mary approximately 52 years ago. I was chosen because Mary had to sing a solo and I could sing in tune. Still remember the song ‘Joseph dearest, Joseph mine, help me cradle this child of mine’. Apparently I accompanied my singing with somewhat over enthusiastic rocking of plastic Jesus and loud sniffs ( had a cold).

Not as good as my nephew though, who was cast as a King and, on delivering his gift to Baby Jesus, delivered his line ‘I bring you gold’ with the self penned addition ‘But really its a fish fingers box that my mum covered.’

Harleyband · 15/11/2018 20:49

Curly redheads? Not even the innkeeper who attempted to house them but one of the ones who sent them away.

Curly redhead here and I was Mary. It was because I had the loudest voice in the class. Could hear me all the way at the back of the gym. Blush

stressedtiredbuthappy · 15/11/2018 20:54

Always the narrator me, always. Swore blind when I had kids that if they didn't get a fair crack of the whip when it came to school plays I'd have something to say . Maybe ops friend is also like me?

ImNotAFlower · 15/11/2018 20:57

@CoachBombay that has literally just made me laugh out loud 😂

My DS is a donkey this year with the line "Eyore, sorry I've got to go to Macdonalds, I'm lovin it" 🤣

toomanyeastereggsurghh · 15/11/2018 20:57

Dd was an angel 4 years in a row, she was very happy as they got to wear pretty white dresses, wings and sparkly light up halos! Plus she got to hang out with her angel friends. Poor Mary had to hang out with a boy 😝

DS is generally cast as some kind of farm animal, sheep, donkey etc and again is pretty happy making silly animal noises with his mates!

LookingThroughTheLookingGlass · 15/11/2018 21:03

I was Mary!!!
Loved it!

Daughter was a donkey one year, a “Chinese-star-lantern-girl” the next and then in y1 the actual Mary didn’t fit in the costume so my DD was swapped from angel Gabriel(le) to Mary 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Praise be!!!

SnapCrackleandPoP1 · 15/11/2018 21:10

I was always the bloody donkey ever year missus year 6 where I was Mary.
Dd was Mary last year but originally was the sheep she got Mary part because original Mary had a sickness bug. She’s an angel this year.

Accountant222 · 15/11/2018 21:15

I was always the Angel Gabriel, only one with blonde hair in the class, then I found out it was a boy, I had a fit and wouldn't go on stage, my grandma had to come back stage, to threaten me.

Revengers18 · 15/11/2018 21:20

@cheesetheday that made me lol!! It probably went completely over their heads though!

masterandmargarita · 15/11/2018 21:23

Surely an angel should be gender neutral ?apart from the one that impregnated mary of course Wink

Catscatsandmorecats · 15/11/2018 21:29

Oh dear, the Nativity always causes drama. I was Mary in the cathedral on Christmas Eve, basically because I could recite lines well into a microphone. One of the other girls shouted at me and said she wouldn't be my friend again because I was Mary but I didn't have a fringe like her and MARY HAD A FRINGE!

PeachyPeachTrees · 15/11/2018 21:34

Last year, one of the Mums was bragging that her daughter was Mary. That was until she found out she had no lines and wasn't in it much! It wasn't the grand part she thought after all. Grin

(It was Babushka not the traditional nativity) Mary and Joseph were small parts. Babushka was the main part and had so many lines that she was played by 3 girls.

pollymere · 15/11/2018 21:50

Dd was blonde, with green eyes. Automatic angel.

ISeeTheLight · 15/11/2018 21:54

I have never been Mary but I was Joseph one year (all girls primary school). I was NOT happy I had to play a boy!

DD was a choir girl in pyjamas last year. No idea what she'll be this year, she's in reception and though she told me today they've started practicing, I think the teachers are teaching a bunch of kids the same part so they can choose later when it's a bit more obvious which child will actually remember what to say when.

6triesbuttingout · 15/11/2018 22:08

My daughter was a donkey. Much to her brothers delight. Never been allowed to forget it

CoachBombay · 15/11/2018 22:22

Menolly yes a full debrief was given through my laughter. Teacher also found the funny side and agreed no "big part".

DS still firmly believes he is a dinosaur on the odd occasion so no risks can be taken for the Nativity this year 😂 DS is 4 which I forgot to mention, before anyone has the mental image of a 12 year old re-inacting Jurassic Park.

Lizabells174 · 16/11/2018 00:44

I was always peeved that I was always cast as the Angel Gabriel(le) and have to sing solos in front of the school and then again at the church.

I always wanted to be Mary, and was always disappointed when I was the bloody angel again.

After reading this thread, my self esteem has improved greatly - I realise now I’m a friggen rockstar!!! Grin

Fowles94 · 16/11/2018 02:03

Who would want their child to play a pregnant lady who doesn't know the father of their unborn baby?

ExFury · 16/11/2018 02:10

Mary had a fringe Grin

Ooplesandbanoonoos · 16/11/2018 02:20

I was often the narrator which you didn't even get to change out of your school uniform for Angry
Show some sympathy then move the convo on!

eastegg · 16/11/2018 03:22

This thread is very amusing.

All those girls who have been Mary and not said anything have been robbed! In all the traditional nativities I've seen (not school) she says 'I'll do whatever God wants '. It's an electrifying moment....

Justanothernameonthepage · 16/11/2018 05:54

DS came home with a slip of paper saying 'Mule'. I'll admit to a moment of 'not even a shepherd?Turned out to be the main character. Mary and Joseph didn't get on stage till halfway through. And that DS was second choice- the first choice DM was not happy with Mule so kicked up a fuss. Her DS ended up a chicken...

TchoupiEtDoudou · 16/11/2018 06:36

DS1's class did the nativity when they were 6. All children had lines. All children learnt them and then recorded them so we could hear them perfectly on the night (fantastic idea)

Most children had the same amount of lines. 2 or 3 (out of 32) got a few more but nothing too obvious.

BikeRunSki · 16/11/2018 06:43

I suggest the child who hasn’t been picked for Mary does what my friend did she was a similar age. Watch and learn the Mart part in rehearsals. On the night come onto stage in all your sheep/star/octopus glory. When Mary says:foes something, stand up, push her off the stage and take over.

The child in question is now a very senior academic. I always knew she’d go far.

Fairylights29 · 16/11/2018 06:46

I was always desperate to be an angel but narrator every flipping year.