About Christmas plays

[nativityhumbug]

I think they should be banned. In my school, we spend about 3 hours a week for 4 weeks rehearsing. The kids hate it and I feel we could spend the time doing something a lot morr fun... or dare I say it, educational. Aibu?

HoldMyLobster they covered it in history at age 15? I hope with intellectual rigour, analytical discussion of primary and secondary sources, examination of how the biblical cannon was compiled etc. ?

It's part of World History to 1600.

"The course includes many aspects of human experience: government and law, art and architecture, religion, economics, science and technology, and philosophy. A study of geography is part of each unit, which include Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, The Middle Ages in the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia, and the Renaissance. Study of the historic origins and practices of major world religions are integrated into our course work."

I went through the UK system so I was used to having Religious Education lessons, prayers in assembly, nativity plays, etc. But when you're in a system that doesn't allow 'teaching religion' in school, religion tends to be covered in context eg as part of history lessons, social studies, literature, etc.

I've found it interesting to see how it's done outside the UK.

I would like to take my teens to see a nativity play - to do so we'll have to find a church that's doing one.

@Lillyhatesjaz that sounds much better!

@Drowninginmyownsnot that is my other issue. The best readers get the reading roles but it would be better for those struggling to have a go, even if they couldn't get it at first.

@NeverTwerkNaked but at best 10 children get a speaking and/or acting part.

@stayathomer not nervous, just bored (at the rehearsals).

@Aroundtheworldin80moves the fact they didn't rehearse when Ofsted was in shows the dilemma in the time spent rehearsing. If it was a relevant part of the curriculum and inclusive of all participants, Ofsted would be happy to see the rehearsals.

@BillHadersNewWife that is lovely that your daughter enjoys it so much.

@nativityhumbug at my childrens school they choose productions that ensure most children (all who want to) get to do some speaking .I assumed that was the norm!

Great post @corythatwas

but at best 10 children get a speaking and/or acting part.

Well, in that case, you need to look at what 'performance' you are putting on as a school. My dc went to a 3 form entry school, and everyone of those 90 children had "an important role". You need to think about what each child gets to do, and about how that is presented to them.

My kids loved it especially dd1 because she was able to shine (she had an amazing voice from tiny and is semi pro now, she hated other stuff at school

DD and I were talking about it at bedtime.
She hates it. Like really hates it. She’s in year 6, they started this week and it will be 3 weeks of rehearsals every single day.
She even said ‘some people like dancing, some like maths, some like science, some like art but it’s not fair we spend all this time DANCING, what about everyone else.’ It’s true, where’s the attention on other things.

The problem is there is a couple of girls who dance in her class and they will be centre stage, along with the ones who love acting. Hardly anyone else will get a look in.

I was actually going to refuse to go this year as last year DD was in the ‘choir’ and I never actually saw her at all. I’ve spent years having to watch the same 6 kids in the central parts, it’s bloody boring!
However this year they might be getting DD to play an instrument (I’ve only suggested this for 4 years). So I will have to bloody go!

I think one of the problems with them nowadays is that not enough time is given to them. So they're shoehorned in with as few parts as they can get away with.
And my dc's school had a parent writing them. For several years. She thought she could get away with one joke: Did you know they don't have cars/buses/taxis/computers/mobile phones/air b'nb/anything else modern 2000 years ago?
Obviously this was news to her as this is repeated in every one several times. I'm not sure it was funny on the first one I saw. By the eighth it was time to throw the whiteboard markers at her...

But when I was at primary, the Christmas show was a big event. Every child was involved on or off stage. We had 4 performances, one free in the afternoon where younger siblings could come and the other local primary came to watch (we went to watch theirs too and felt very smug ours was so superior ) and paid for seats (£2) in the evening.
The infants did either a fairy tale or a nativity with lots of singing.
years 3 and 4 did a joint one, usually a musical one, and years 5 and 6 did a big play.
We weren't miked up and even the infants were expected by year 2 (when they'd get speaking parts) to be able to project their voice. I can't remember any child who couldn't.
We'd practice 1-2 afternoons a week from half term, and I can't remember a single moan from anyone.

But also now the only performance mine did in school was the Christmas play and one assembly which would inevitably be everyone with one line. So the parts at Christmas were the only opportunity to actually do any acting. So it took on more importance.
We'd do 1 performance at Christmas, 1 assembly per term, that was also usually with a little play involved, and juniors would do another at Easter and years 5/6 another in the summer. If you didn't get the part you wanted people shrugged their shoulders and said "maybe next time" and it was varied round who got them, and if you wanted a speaking part then you'd get at least a couple over the course of the year, probably more.

If it was a relevant part of the curriculum and inclusive of all participants, Ofsted would be happy to see the rehearsals.

Am I the only one to find it rather sad that the only learning worth having is to be defined by Ofsted inspections?

YABVU

My dd’s school isn’t doing a Christmas show, it’s doing a trip to Africa. The school bangs on about poverty proofing and then orders us to put outfits in in specific colours. She needs cream trousers ffs. She’s 7. They’re not even going to make it to the stage looking clean

The most positive thing our school does performance wise is getting Scottish Opera in for the schools workshop for the oldest year group (mostly 11 as we;re in Scotland) The children are already learning the songs in advance of the performance at the beginning of January as part of their standard music lessons.

On the day the crew from the Opera come in, split them into three groups and spend the day creating the performance. Everyone has an equal role. The performance lasts about 30 minutes. It's exposure to something that most of them don't experience in everyday life. The costumes are amazing. They have professional opera singers coaching them.

Does cost the school a lot though, think it's about a grand. But PTA funds it every year as the kids love it and so do the parents as its all over in a day and definitely has an educational aspect too.

@corythatwas yes, sad but true.

YABU, you Scrooge.

I love watching the nativity performances personally and my DC enjoy taking part too. They’re only young once.

Scrooge.

@fannyanney @Whattodoabout I love Christmas! I love doing craft afternoons for the children where they can all take part and enjoy them. Like I said, I put great enthusiasm into the rehearsals but in my experience, the cast majority of children do not enjoy the rehearsal experience. It's completely different when you're watching them perform.

The kids who get parts love it. The other 100 kids stuck in "the choir" hate it. Parents of those 100 dont particularly like it either as their kids are never given a chance and when you go to watch, you cant even see them.

There is much more to a school play than the people on stage. It was approx 35 years ago that I help design and paint the massive art display for Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat and I have a lovely memory of my teacher (usually a bit stern) saying how good it was. I was also in the actual play ('person in crowd' - non speaking or singing) but I loved (and still do) all the songs. Posters, props, costumes, the programme, lighting, music, making cakes for parents at the performance etc. Lots involved with putting on a play that has nothing to do with being on stage.

"Lots involved with putting on a play that has nothing to do with being on stage."
Not all schools involve the kids in that way though. Our schools set is the same every year, so not made by the kids, no specific lighting, and costumes are provided by the parents. In our school it is a them (that get parts) and us (everyone else). So as parents you are usually watching the same kids every year. So for us we had 4 years of what seemed to be the "Erin and amber" show and 4 of the "Cameron and sophie" show....as every year they got the top parts. Mine were back row of the choir.

Well that's the schools fault if that's the way they are running the play. Shame.

It is possible for people to enjoy being in a chorus. It is possible for parents to be excited about their children being in the chorus or even -revolutionary as it might seem- to be excited about their children's friends getting a big part, about being there as a community and enjoying a joint effort. It is possible for such an attitude of the parent to transfer to the child.

Or then again, we could decide that anything that happens communally is boring and pointless if my family isn't the centre of attention. Doesn't seem a very joy-bringing attitude to me, but there you are.

My dh was in the same school play as Hugh Grant and Samantha Bond. Funnily enough, he didn't get a proper part. But he still had fun.

Dd was part of a bannister in her youth theatre production. Must have enjoyed it as she is now at drama school. (Where incidentally they don't tolerate the only-worthwhile-if-I-am-the-star attitudes).