Children's nativity play and Christmas show mishaps: please share your favourites

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Hello,

We're busier than Santa's elves putting together some new content for Christmas. And we'd like your help, please.

What we're after are stories of your children's performances in Nativity plays, school Christmas shows, pantos etc, that didn't go exactly according to plan.

So outright disasters or just mistakes, bloopers, wardrobe or script malfunctions that made you giggle/blush/strangely proud, please share them here.

Thank you :)

[Abgirl]

DS1 took his role of the donkey a little too seriously when he was in reception - he added to authenticity by chewing his toenails live on stage! Actually not sure that donkeys can do that but other parents were mightily amused by his display of flexibility.

[tallulah]

SS1's Reception nativity involved insects of various types (she was a spider and looked ace ). Part-way through the performance there was a bit of a problem when the Bees started their bit too early. DD stopped in the middle of the stage and shouted "No! It's the Ants, not you! The Ants!". Everyone was in hysterics.

[tallulah]

That of course should say DD1, not SS1 (must preview)

[CMOTdibbler]

My mum was an infant teacher for 40 years, and so I watched every nativity and play for 25 years.

Lots of children hoiking up their tops tp look at their tums, bum scratching etc and at least one bursting into tears or wee accident per year.

My favourite part of the year was the non nativity play though - coming up with a play for 120 4-7 year olds is no small task. I still think her masterpiece was 'Snow White and the Seven dwarves go through the woods and meet the Care bears and friends'. Those who couldn't be trusted to speak, move or sing nicely made lovely trees that year

[wobblyweeble82]

When I was about 8, I was deemed sensible enough to be the narrator for the nativity. It had all gone swimmingly until the end when I asked everyone to join me in saying the Gaylord's Prayer ... I still have no idea to this day why I did it

[hairtwiddler]

This one from Scottish borders circa 1983 when neighbour's little boy got the role of the Innkeeper. Mary and Joseph knocked on the door, weary and Mary heavy with child.
Joseph: "Have you any room for us this night?"
Innkeeper: "Aye, come away in. Loads of space."
Cue silence and much confusion all round while teachers tried to put the whole thing right.

[NoGoodAtHousework]

I was cast as Mary when at playgroup and firstly tripped over the donkey horse thing they had us 'ride on' then exclaimed that it wasn't in fact the baby Jesus in the crib, it was just a doll!

[oldsilver]

Mixed year school Nativity, DS (reception) is one of the 9 shepherds though there were only five sheep So they reach the Inn to ask the innkeeper where the Baby Cheesuz is and sing a song. At this point one of the barman (another reception) starts prodding DS and he obviously prodded back, then slapping each other, then hitting lightly. Thank goodness the song finished and the shepherds went off before a full scale scrap developed how proud am I of DS

[SingingSands]

Infant school production of the Christmas story was a success, no mishaps, just the usual waving to parents and gazing into space..

However, afterwards, the main cast assembled on the stage to have their photograph taken for the local paper. It was just as the photographer was taking the shots that I noticed that one of the little boys playing a shepherd was having a wardrobe malfunction... his dressing gown was on the short side and as he was sitting on the edge of his chair, with his legs were wide apart I spotted his willy was sticking out of a hole in his pants!

There was a short break in proceedings whilst we rearranged his pose! It certainly kept us chuckling in the staffroom for the rest of the day!

[CointreauVersial]

DD1 was cast as a "special" sheep when she was 5. DH took the day off work to watch the performance, proud Granny was wheeled out etc. etc.

She had a hissy fit just before she was due to come on stage because she wasn't happy with the length of her trousers. I think the whole audience heard the backstage tantrum; she ended up missing the entire play.

[CointreauVersial]

I forgot another one - this was DD2. She appeared in a Panto aged 5 and ended up wetting herself in the middle of her dance routine. Another girl slipped over in the pool of wee.

[SingingSands]

Just remembered another -

My DBrother and I attended Sunday School in the 80s. The Sunday School teachers hated my DB, as he was a little toerag in those days. Nevertheless, every child must have a role in the Sunday School play...

DB was the straw in the stable

We dressed him in yellow cords and a yellow jumper and tied some straw around his middle. He spent the entire production lying on the side of the stage. My poor mother was mortified

[IHeartKingThistle]

Singing sands No Way! I have just snorted embarrassingly loudly

[IHeartKingThistle]

When BIL was 4 or 5 he played a shepherd in the Nativity. He and the other shepherds shuffled onstage, teatowels on their heads, and the audience 'aaah'ed and giggled with delight. Little BIL took great offence at this and shouted "Stop laughing!" at the audience. I can only imagine they didn't obey because he then made his hand into a gun like little boys do and yelled "I'll shoot you! I'LL SHOOT YOU ALL!"

I'll never tire of hearing MIL tell that one. I should point out that BIL is not now a murderer .

[PrettyCandles]

In pre-school dd sat, with a face like thunder, cross-legged in the middle of the tiny stage, totally ignoring the play being acted out around her, and continuously muttering just loudly enough for the audience to hear:"I wanted to be Mary!"

In all fairness there had been some confusion over the role, and about 5 little girls thought they were going to be Mary, but only my dd made a stand about it.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

DD1 went to a very precious Montessori nursery school in Sarf Landan, and was not in the school play, on the grounds that "We're only having children in the play who do 5 sessions or more a week." I pointed out that DD did 7, but she wasn't budging on allowing DD1 in the play - muttered something about the children in the play being those that did one session each day - clearly untrue. She then asked me to keep DD1 off, when they were rehearsing (every morning) - err, no - I am paying for this nursery as I am working.

We went along to see this stellar performance, and it became clear why DD1 had been excluded. All of the children in the play were blonde, with the exception of the Angel Gabriel, who was black, and the narrator, who was red headed. The little narrator was clearly a bit fazed by his starring role, and for comfort, unzipped his flies, got his willy out and clutched it for the whole performance. Mad nursery teacher was nearly apoplectic, kept gesturing, and waving her hand for him to put it away. This threw him even more, and he started to rub it (without losing track of his narrating). I laughed so much I had to leave the room. And thought it served her right for being such a caaaah about her colour co-ordinated play.

[charlieandlola]

In Ds's nativity play Mary was pushed along on a large toy donkey placed precariously on a wheeled platform. Joseph pulled this along very very slowly to the Innkeeper ( DS), who was meant to lead it back across the stage when he had said his part. He said his part well, and I was relaxing in the audience thinking "phew" when DS then kicked the wheeled donkey across the stage, donkey and wheels came asunder, wheels carried on in the correct direction, donkey was left lying on its' side, so DS gave it another boot into the wings for good measure. Cue whole audience bursting out laughing, and DS responding to the attention by doing his Michael Jackson inspired hipthrusts before he was "escorted" off the stage by the head of drama.
I haven't been to a nativity since.

[ByTheWay1]

My one time starring role as Mary lasted 2 minutes - me and Joseph walked across the stage - he walked too far, fell off the stage and broke his collar bone. When he was carted away they decided just to have us all on stage singing our songs and that was it! Apparently I was indignant!

[WinterIsComing]

at being the straw! After the Mary debacle it was decided that I should play a piano solo instead and didn't get a part in the play ever again.

And it was always the most evil challenging classmate who was cast as Herod. I'm sure the teachers did it deliberately.

[WailyWailyWaily]

DS aged 4 was cast as a star, his part was right at the start of the show after which he and the other stars were supposed to sit quietly at the front of the stage. He did his little dance very seriously and then settled at the front of the stage to chew his toenails for 15 mins

[TougherThanTheRest]

My DD was Mary last year and she got Baby Jesus stuck under the chair because Joseph sat in the wrong place. She covered her difficult birth remarkably well but my video of the lovely touching performance is somewhat spoilt by the sound of me snorting like a pig with laughter watching her

[bruffin]

Ours was near disaster.
DD was an angel in reception, in a pretty long white dress and wings. She was doing her usual fiddling with her dress, sitting down she was picking up the hem and waving it about. Only found out afterwards that she had no knickers on

[cakeoclock]

I was enthralled by the church nativity play last year and subsequently didn't notice dd aged 3 messing about under the front row pew. Cue quiet moment and dd's little voice reverberating around the church "oh no I'm going to be stuck here forever" on repeat in a very calm, resigned voice. She had her head stuck firmly under the pew.

Cue mass (silent) panic on our row until my db told her to turn her head and out it popped. All was well until another quiet moment when my niece whispered "can you imagine if we had to call the fire engine out". Our bench was shaking as we all tried to laugh silently, I thought my db might need an ambulance he held his breath for so long. You have never seen a row of people run out of mass quicker in your life. I was told at school the next morning they could all hear our laughter in the carpark and a little boy announced "I didn't know it was a funny story". I still can't sit on the front row without chuckling.

[Cazzmags]

Oh God..the horrors of the Xmas play! I'm still emotionally scarred after my experience many years ago. DS1 was beautifully playing his part of a towns person when DS2 who was about 3 at the time and watching with me decided to "kick off". He started quietly kicking his chair and muttering which got louder and louder...cue increasingly loud pleas from me for him to be quiet to no avail. He then got up and was wandering up and down the aisles chattering loudly when I decided enough was enough and got up to take him out. For good measure he shouted "Oh poo" at the top of his voice as we were leaving with me casting remorseful looks at DS1 who was about to cry.

My relief at escaping was very short lived as when the school video came out every horrific detail was there to be heard over and over again......the shame of it.

[scrivette]

DB was Joseph in the Church Nativity (DM must have been smug as I was Mary 3 years before). He took his role very seriously and when Mary toppled backwards off of her chair he remained in character and completely ignored her, cue lots of Sunday School teachers running over to make sure she is ok whilst DB picks up baby Jesus from the manger and rocks him!