To think a school might pick a production the pupils have a chance of appearing in?

[EccentricaGallumbits]

DD auditioned for the next school palaver production. They do an all singing all dancing big lavish production every year.

PFBish but she is rather good at acting/dancing etc.

She was told that yes she was very good but too short to play any of the parts, that she wouldn't look adult enough.

What is the bloody point of a whole school production where all the parts are adult ones? When the only pupils who will look adult enough are the ones in the 6th forms?

DD has a bit of a complex about being short anyway. she is gutted. I am cross.

That sounds really stupid, have you though about asking the school why they are doing it this way?

What show is it?

YANBU it sounds like the decision wasn't well thought out. If they wanted to do that for 6th form only why not do 2 parts, that play and something else for the younger year groups?

don't blame you for being cross - it's a school production and oooohhhh children go to school and ooooohhhh children can be a bit on the small side so UANBU in mho

school plays are all about disappointment, it's character-building.

IS it a particular show eg Guys and Dolls or something that the school puts together?

they usually do something like we will rock you or something musical.

i don't think it's character-building if the only pupils allowed to take part have had their feet in grow-bags since puberty that's just discriminatory

YANBU this sounds like this is for the benefit of the music/drama teacher's ego rather than for the children. If they want to direct a realistic interpretation of a play they should go and do amdram with adults. The school play should be about inclusion and encouraging talent and enthusiasm.

I'd discretely have a word with someone higher than the teacher in charge - and maybe put Firawla's idea foward as a compromise. You could also point out that theatre is supposed to be about illusion and imagination!

idiots

I think you are not going to get them to change their production plans at this stage.

But I'm wondering, depending on how self-conscious DD is about her height, whether a quiet word on that score might be in order? Just to stop them making any more silly remarks about it?

I wouldn't kick up a fuss, or expect them to change it. But I may make it know to a governor or two who will pass on that a whole school production really should enable the whole school to take part.

Agree with Firawla about maybe two productions. They did this at DDs school this year.

Last year's production had enough crowd scenes so that all the enthusiastic younger ones could take part if they wanted.

But this year's main production saw loads of younger ones turning up to audition (including DD) and not enough parts for them all, so they decided to have only year 9 and above in the main show but put on a junior production of something else for the years 7 and 8.

I'm totally that they want 'adult' parts to be played by people who look like adults!
When we did Oliver! at school, Mr Bumble (old guy who runs the orphanage) was played by a boy in Year 8 ... who wasn't tiny but certainly wouldn't be described as 'big for his age'!

Agree with makedoandmend.