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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

My DS is Little Red Riding Hood

107 replies

notafraidofthebigbadwolf · 18/01/2022 18:22

My DS is 8 and sobbed the whole way home from school today. They are doing a play for the first time in a long time - which we are thrilled about - but he's just been given the part of Little Red Riding Hood. No surprise, he wanted to be the Wolf. The teachers thought it would be fun to shake things up abit and give a boy the role of Little Red Riding Hood, and maybe the Wolf to a girl.
Boys have also ended up with the Wolf and Grandma. In fact I can't think what main part a girl has got. It is a small school and there are quite a few more boys then girls.

Still, it seems like a punishment to him.

Teacher said we could think about it over night, but it's too late to give him another part now as they've all been handed out. They'd have to make him a squirrel or something and give the part to a child who hadn't auditioned well enough to get a main part up front.

AIBU to be sad?!

No - The school is being far too woke.
Yes - he was lucky to get a part and should try to make the most of it.

Thank you - I name changed for this as very outing!

OP posts:
NellieWellietheEllie · 18/01/2022 19:48

I often played boys in primary school (I went to a mixed sex school but the main characters in the plays we did were often male and I loved acting) - I don't remember it ever been a problem. And he's not even playing a girl - he's playing a boy. OP you sound awfully sexist too being so disappointed rather than proud of him for getting a main part.

Porcupineintherough · 18/01/2022 19:53

For all those who have got a face on because "all the good parts have been given to boys" reread the OP. The wolf will be played by a girl.

Original poster
notafraidofthebigbadwolf · 18/01/2022 19:56

@Soontobe60

Read Prince Cinders with him. Do the teachers expect him to play a girl character, or with LRRH be a boy in their version?
At the school gates, they said they would put him in a red hoodie not a cape. I'm not entirely clear what they said as I was more concerned about his tears, but I guess they are turning his character into a boy, which will be fine. He'll just have to go in and redefine the story to the school. I think that in this version, the wolf ends up getting shot - possibly by Little Red Riding Hood - which would be a turn up for the books! Grin
OP posts:
Bagamoyo1 · 18/01/2022 19:57

@Porcupineintherough

But he and everyone else there will know that she's a girl in the original story

Yeah, exactly, a girl. Not a slug, not a psychopath, not a fool or a laughing stock: a girl. Why is that such a terrible thing?

Because he’s 8. And he’s a boy, not a girl. Do you really not understand this?
sanbeiji · 18/01/2022 20:00

@FFSFFSFFS

How depressing that he at six thinks is a bad thing to be given a role that’s associated with being female. And how depressing that you agree.
It would be the other way round too at that age.
OnceUponAThread · 18/01/2022 20:00

@Porcupineintherough

For all those who have got a face on because "all the good parts have been given to boys" reread the OP. The wolf will be played by a girl.
@Porcupineintherough perhaps you need to reread the OP. Wolf WAS going to a girl, but in the end a boy got all three roles.

"Boys have also ended up with..."

My DS is Little Red Riding Hood
Bagamoyo1 · 18/01/2022 20:01

@FFSFFSFFS

How depressing that he at six thinks is a bad thing to be given a role that’s associated with being female. And how depressing that you agree.
Well firstly he’s 8. And I doubt he’s got anything against girls. He just isn’t one, and doesn’t want to be one of act as a character who’s a girl. Have we got so stupidly woke that we are now denying basic child instincts? Jesus I despair.
OnceUponAThread · 18/01/2022 20:01

@sanbeiji would it? I went to an all girls school and never batted an eyelid at male roles. One of my proudest school moments was getting to play Peter Pan.

Original poster
notafraidofthebigbadwolf · 18/01/2022 20:02

@Dinosauratemydaffodils

What a pile of shit. What small boy wants to be little red riding hood. Ridiculous

Mine! Okay his preferred version usually ended with him killing the wolf but he'd happily have played Little Red.
I don't see a problem personally. Small child ignoring parental advice, straying from path, meeting predator and getting granny eaten works as a part for both boys and girls.

Grin Thank you @Dinosauratemydaffodils
OP posts:
RepentMotherfucker · 18/01/2022 20:06

@Porcupineintherough

For all those who have got a face on because "all the good parts have been given to boys" reread the OP. The wolf will be played by a girl.
Oops Grin

Do take your own advice here!

saraclara · 18/01/2022 20:07

@Soontobe60

Read Prince Cinders with him. Do the teachers expect him to play a girl character, or with LRRH be a boy in their version?
I linked to the Julia Donaldson play script that the school must be using, further up. He'll be a boy and he'll wear a hoody.

Good idea to recommend Prince Cinders! There are quite a few modern adaptations and reversals of fairy tales. There's a great one about Goldilocks and the three bears too.

Freecuthbert · 18/01/2022 20:10

I don't see what the issue is. Little Red Riding Hood is easily gender neutral, either a girl or a boy could wear a red hood, it's not pivotal to the plot whether it's a girl or boy. I wonder how the role has been explained to him, if there has been some misunderstanding on his side and he seems to picture in his head that he'll be forced to wear a wig with pigtails and a dress. He is only 8 after all. You need to be supportive and encouraging, don't kick up a fuss or anything. The one thing I do take issue with is the school not giving any big roles to girls, but obviously that is out of your control.

Orchidaceae · 18/01/2022 20:16

I've a 9 year old lad who would have a conniption too, its a natural reaction. When he has calmed down i would google little red riding hood as a boy and he can look at some pictures. I would tell him he can design and choose his own costume. Gently ease ease him into it :)

Goldilocks99 · 18/01/2022 20:17

The saddest part about this is that no actual girls were deemed good enough to play a part and all the starring roles were given to boys.
I'd be fuming, but on the behalf of the girls that have been robbed of a good role.

Having an all male starring cast is not progression. I'd be complaining, but on behalf of the girls who missed out, not your son.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 18/01/2022 20:21

Schools are weird. My DS(7) also came home from school today with news of a play in which he and two other little boys will be playing Walter Tull. They will speak in unison about being the first black officer in the UK army (none of them is black).

Then as a finale they will all sing "Proud" by Heather Small.

Ionlydomassiveones · 18/01/2022 20:21

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

Wednesdayafternoon · 18/01/2022 20:21

I remember when I was in year 2 I was the only one out of my friendship circle to not get a part in the Christmas play. I was SO upset, I cried at school and in the playground. My mum is such a timid thing but bless her she went and spoke to the teacher about it and they made me a part "Spanish girl" in the nativity 🤷🏼‍♀️.... (I'm not Spanish.... I don't get it either, I think they may have just had a spanish traditional outfit thinking back).
But my point here is that it can feel SO upsetting for kids when they've set their heart on things, so easy to feel singled out especially when it was important to them.
I haven't read the whole thread so sorry if I've missed this but have you spoke to the school? Even if not to change the role but to maybe have a chat with him about it all and make him feel more confident?

SmallElephant · 18/01/2022 20:21

I like the idea of mixing things up a bit but it's a shame about the girls not getting any good parts.

RepentMotherfucker · 18/01/2022 20:24

@Ionlydomassiveones

Shame as it subverts the spirit of the story that a ‘little’ girl and an ‘elderly sick’ woman are physically vulnerable to an aggressive male predator. But brains win the day (and a kindly passing male woodcutter).
I think the Grimms added the woodcutter. Or at least chose the version featuring him. There are millions of versions where RRH saves herself. None where she has a surprise penis though...
Toffeevodkaplease · 18/01/2022 20:29

He's probably too young to understand it but try and watch A Midsummer Nights Dream by the Bridge Theatre. It was a fabulous production (and filmed so you might be able to find it) and Gwendoline Christie (from GOT) played Titania but they swapped the lines so she was saying Oberon's lines and vv. It was brilliant and so much less sexist.
I don't think it's woke. It's interesting and imaginative of the teachers.
Probably better for his age is - there's a book called Gender Swapped Fairy Tales which is beautiful but also really fascinating because it opens your eyes to the misogyny of so many of the original fairy tales. I can't recall if there a Red Riding Hood version but it's definitely worth a read.

WonderfulYou · 18/01/2022 20:39

How depressing that he at six thinks is a bad thing to be given a role that’s associated with being female. And how depressing that you agree.

When my DD was the same age they did Cinderella and 2 boys played the ugly step sisters and it was hilarious - they didn’t care at all.

This part isn’t even playing a girl it’s playing a character that they’re choosing to be a boy.

autienotnaughty · 18/01/2022 20:40

I think they should have asked first. I can totally see why a boy may not want to play a traditional girl role. If he did great but I don't think he should have to. I'd ask him what he prefers wether to be lrrh or a small part.

toomuchlaundry · 18/01/2022 20:40

DS’s school had 3 productions a year (pre-COVID). Christmas was KS1, Spring Term lower KS2 and Summer upper KS2

Moonface123 · 18/01/2022 20:48

Something similar happened to my son at his primary school, l encouraged him to make the most of it so what did he do? Come the main performance he adlibbed his way throughout. Parents thought it was hysterical, not so much the teachers.
l was quite relieved after hearing about it that l hadn't been able to attend due to work.

GizmosEveningBath · 18/01/2022 20:53

@TiredSloth

I imagine my 8 year old self would have been pretty pissed off if I auditioned for Mary and got the part of Joseph, Prince Charming instead of Cinderella etc. I imagine little girls could be just as cruel about it as well. Pushing children into playing characters of the opposite sex is not fair on girls or boys.