"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?

Only time I was in one was when I was 8. The first part I was a tree and then I got to be one of the walls of the manger. I literally put my hand up for every role possible. Unfortunately our teacher decided to have no animals so other then the few human roles there was a lot of trees and walls. It was my baby born that was used for jesus though.

There's not always a star angel in dancing shoes, but when there is, that is obviously the best part

Ah, that’s the daughter of the PTA chair at our school this year!

DD was Mary a couple of years ago (to be fair, she has a beautiful singing voice and usually gets a solo). However, she had no lines to say and would much rather have been cast as Cheryl (Girls Aloud) or Sharon Osborne. No, really. It was even called ‘The X-mas Factor’...

DS was an angel at nursery and cried all the way through. He looked so convincing though in his sandals, white gown with silver trim and wings that my mum had crafted for him. It was the only nativity he ever did, after that they did Christmas plays involving snowmen and Santa.

twoshedsjackson our teacher was more or less at retirement age back in the 80s, so if she isn't dead by now, she would be well into her 90s, and perhaps not in a condition to be harangued for plagiarism!

We had one boy at our school who had this beautiful, angelic choir boy voice (even though he was a horrible little shit in general) who was always chosen for any sort of lead singing role. The resentment against him was very strong, because he used to lord it over the rest of us, and hang around the teacher all the time simpering up at her, and only do his horrible-little-shit stuff when there were no grownups watching. I think everyone was much gratified when his voice finally broke and he lost his one weapon.

My DS is a sheep I'm so proud

Aaah a sheep...I love the sheep, they make me cry.

mary usually says about 3 words. the donkeys get to do a dance routine and the narrators do the heavy lifting. the "star" female part is pretty shit really. educational, i guess.

I'm so enjoying this thread. My favourite so far is the Welsh husband comment...

@woodymiller For your pushy parent costume, what about a clipboard, glasses on a string or on top of the head, and lots of coloured highlighters in a transparent pocket hanging from the wrist? (Not sure how old your littl' un is though and if that would work.)

Thanks for the suggestions for Pushy Parent costume. I was thinking sunglasses on head. DD is 11, last year of primary so I'm sure she'll jump at chance of full-on make-up. Reading some of the comments I might make her a badge that says "PTA Chair" if I'm feeling brave.

@woodymiller your PTA comment made me laugh some more. You could even have a few badges with various titles along those lines on them...