"Poshest" roles in a typical nativity play

[SympatheticSwan]

Lighthearted obviously.

It's this time of the year again and, as a foreign parent, I am again amazed by the level of intrigue around the casting decisions for the school's nativity play.

AIBU to ask you to help me understand what is the "hierarchy" of roles in a typical nativity play? I deduced myself that Mary is the lead role (but it does not seem that Joseph commands the same level of respect for boys), and livestock ranks below all, but what about the rest? Shepherd? Three wise men? Townsfolk? Innkeeper? Talking penguins?

Surely the ‘poshest’ role is a King

Aside from that, it very much depends on the play. Mary and Joseph often have fuck all to do (though still front and centre). Angel Gabriel is usually a good bet (reserved in my school for a child with a head of blonde curls)

That article is amazing. An Ox. Who knew.

I remember being cast, not as Mary, which I was gutted about, but as the 'Bad Innkeeper's Wife' - eg. the one that says 'no room at the inn'. Still holding a grudge 30 years later.

My rival and I at school were narrator and Mary. I was that jealous that she was the narrator and had lots of lines to learn but she was jealous that I had the best costume and a whole solo song to sing.

Dd is narrator number 18 lol

Easist ones are definitely shepherds - dressing gown and a tea towel and you're done.
Animals always involve making a mask and then clothes of some impractical colour that no-one ever has (what 5 yo has an all-brown or all-white outfit?!)
Angels were a nightmare unless you could do magic with a white sheet and lots of tinsel.
I loved narrators roles as that was just plain school uniform, with maybe a Santa hat.

Maybe I'm taking the wrong approach though.....

Narrator was always a big part in the Christmas Play at my school. Either a solo role or a small group. Meant wearing a party dress and staying on stage the whole time. I did it twice- once solo and once in a pair - in the years where my school year were the "main parts" in yr 2 & 4 and was a king with a few lines and a lovely crown & brooch in yr 3. I went to a 4-18 school though and yrs 5&6 were lumped into being the chorus grunts in the Year 7&8&9 school play! I didn't mind though because I did a reading in the school carol service every year instead.

I was a good reader and did speech and drama. I got picked because I could understand, emote, and project. Plus DM ensured I learnt my lines.

I love the random roles when the school does a "modern" nativity. I remember one year my DD's class did one about Aliens and as well as Mary & Joseph etc, there were aliens, teachers, flowers, and the foundation class all got to be little background aliens. I bet the teachers and TAs had great fun making the alien costumes and spaceship etc. (DD was a narrator. She got to wear black instead of school uniform, so that suited her fine, she doesn't like a fuss!)

My DD is a Midwife this year. She (along with the other Midwife) have the most lines and are on stage the entire time, along with their Donkeys. Mary and Joseph appear in the last scene.

With Modern nativity plays you never know what the lead roles will be...

(Eldest DD was a camel and a sheep in her plays. This DD has been a Page, Mary and now Midwife)

Especially if they have flying - or dangling duties!

Ds was a Shepherd in his first nativity last year was v pleased,nice costume and better than being relegated to the "choir" in their school uniforms

Everyone knows there are plum parts and a pecking order. Generally, in the 80s or 90s Mary went to a pretty blonde child. I knew as a 4 year old I was never going to get Mary. This might have now changed but I bet it hasn’t everywhere. I have been a narrator though so that was good. One of my friends was ‘bark’ one year. He is still upset he didn’t even get to be a complete tree. That was clearly a shit part.

My friend’s daughter turned down the role of Mary because “I’m not wearing a tea towel on my head”.

I always wanted to be Mary, as you got to hold / play with a Tiny Tears (Jesus), and my mum wouldn't buy me one. Probably why I never got to be her! My sister was always Gabriel / narrator and did all the speaking. I was an angel, which I didn't mind, as it had tinsel and I think I must have been very easily distracted by sparkles (still am!). Mum was always happy with angels, as it was re-purposed Halloween ghost costumes with a wire headband for the halo.

My poor dd was the (back end) of a donkey one year!

Don't under estimate the role of leading star - cute sparkly outfit and getting to walk up the aisle a few times leading the shepherds and kings!

One of my kids had been Mary and other donkey - suited then perfectly! Not sure what role has been cast this year. Apparently it's a "surprise"!!

Dd was Mary. She walked around the hall once, had one line and sat on the edge of the stage with a doll where I couldn't see her for the rest of the performance.
Ds once got a last minute upgrade to Joseph. Got stage fright halfway round the hall and abandoned Mary and the donkey to sit on my lap for the rest of the performance.

Both technically the lead roles but neither enjoyed the experience.

DS nativity many year ago was expanded to have a few singing and dancing numbers in it. It had the traditional nativity in it plus dc as Christmas decorations. DS was cast as a piece of tinsel along with other boys and had a dancing number that bought so much laughter to the audience, that school got it spot on.

I’m glad to see angel is relatively important.

Dd was the "whoopsadaisy angel when she was small, it was the biggest part and involved singing solo. The following year the "the sleepy shepherd" was the biggest part. They bought in plays

My DD wanted to be Gabriel but her teacher said Gabriel had to be a boy and I was utterly outraged! I was Gabriel in the nativity years ago, nobody batted an eyelid. She’s an angel but not Gabriel .

My DS was one of the three wise men a couple of years ago which was very sweet.

My daughter has her first one this year and is a “child” which I have now discovered is one of two narrators. She just has to wear a “smart top” and trousers which makes it easy for me. She was telling me her lines the other day and it started “once upon a time there was a little old lady called Mary”

I was a rabbit in my P1 nativity. I had a brown jumper, brown tights, brown balaclava and cardboard ears, and a speaking part. I still remember my lines.

I was the angel Gabriel in my play school
Nativity. I got to walk in front of the other angels. My one and only senior role. Loved my costume!

I was always Mary, as my mother had been in the Children of Mary, so I had the blue hooded cloak! But the part I really wanted was Gabriel, not only for the gauzy glittery wings but for all the wonderful speeches!

Hey!! Watch it - my only role in a primary school play was as a 'noise of stage'. I certainly wasn't a horror. I was exceptionally well behaved (quite frankly live in fear of being told of).

I wasn't pretty enough (quote, unquote) to be UK n view (good for a child's confidence that).

Mary was as always one of the blonde girls (as were all the Hawaiian dancers - don't ask). Even at that tender age I realise this was miscasting of a middle eastern and Hawaiian women!!

No, no I and my horrible hair are not bitter!!

Anyway OP, Mary is the main one.

DS1 was " Sleeping Child" once! Inflatable bed, jim jams and eyes closed please. ...he was on stage the WHOLE time though. His best nativity role was as one of the Three Kings
DD was Mary three times, once she dropped the baby and said "Jesuswept" under her breath, the first couple of rows heard and it took quite a while for the laughing to subside.
She also had leading roles in the alternative plays, and got to play a selection of carols as folks were settling into the church for the school service....why she is not an acclaimed actress now I shall never know.
DS2 was Innkeeper in nursery and then main Narrator for almost everything throughout primary...he should have been a news reader.