To expect DS2 to get his 'fair share' in the output of (paid for) drama club?

[NormaSnorks]

DS2 (7) goes to an after school drama lesson with 3 other boys from his school. It's held at the school, but we pay extra for it, as it's an independent teacher. They do LAMDA speech/drama exams and local drama festival.It's just the 4 of them - not a big group.

It used to be just 3 of them, but another boy has joined them (we weren't asked about this BTW..). He is a very confident, loud and 'alpha-male'.

I enrolled DS in this class to help build self-esteem and confidence, and since this other child arrived DS hates it - has really withdrawn.

Today he's come home with a 'script' for some mini-performance they're doing, and the parts are really imbalanced. DS only has two lines. 'Loud boy' has loads! Paragraph-fuls.. (I kid you not...)

AIBU to be a bit and ? DS is quite shy, but we know from experience that if you give him a challenge he will rise to it. Even he was upset by his lack of lines in this script.

The teacher wrote the script, so she could easily have made it more equal.

If it was a school production etc I'd just think 'bad luck, that's life.. " but I'm paying fro this crap?

What would you do?

I would go to the drama teacher and tell her (don't ask) that the parts should be more equal, especially as it is such a small group. If she has a problem with this, remind her who is paying.

Talk to the drama teacher. Presumably you pick him up as he's only 7, so just ask if you can have a word and say what you've said here (without complaining about the other boy, as that might sound like sour grapes).

Yes, I agree the other boy is a different issue, although I can't help feeling it's sort of related, as his mum is a 'full-on, always up at the school' sort..

I'm expecting that she will say that DS perhaps can't cope with more, as he gets very nervous (true), but how id he ever meant to practice/ learn to overcome his nerves if he doesn't get a chance?

That's exactly why we signed him up for this, as he NEVER gets any parts in the bigger school productions, and now it all seems to be going in the same direction!

I'd tell the teacher that your ds has seemed withdrawn and unhappy lately and ask if she knows of anything that might have prompted this change. This should hopefully open up a conversation where you can mention ds' self-esteem and confidence without having to mention the other boy.