School Christmas Play

[Milly22]

Just wondering if schools have the habit of picking the same handful of children to play main roles in every play that comes up in the academic year. Just seen the list for our Christmas play and it's the usual lot yet again and the other 22 are never given the same opportunity.

[cory]

I think the nativity at ds' school was a lot less boring because the children who actually enjoyed acting and threw themselves into it were given main parts and the ones like ds who couldn't care less got smaller non-speaking parts. One line each for 79 children, some of them with ds' attitude, sounds thoroughly tedious. I'd rather watch somebody else's child having fun and doing it well than having it rubbed into me in public that ds doesn't really want to do this sort of thing.

[sittinginthesun]

R, and Years 1 and 2 at dc's school, with speaking parts going to the Year 2s. Every child gets a role, and the chance to sing and dance on stage.

From what I can tell, the main part usually goes to the most confident child (who is usually (and I would NEVER say this out loud in RL ) the most annoying and drama queen type child in the class), and who tends to lap up the attention and shine on stage.

[BrigitBigKnickers]

One of my less able readers for our church service made my day today. He is wildly dyslexic and struggles so much with his reading but was the only one who had learnt the Christina Rosetti poem I had given him off by heart and said it just beautifully in our practise today (sniff.)

He was soooo proud of himself!

[feelinchirpier]

My school did similar back in the day you didn't need a crystal ball to know who would be doing what part, unfortunately no matter how much I tried to blend into the back ground I was always picked for a speaking role (not lead thou thank gawd) absolutely hated it made me feel so sick with nerves. I loved the way my Dd's school did their play this year every child went up in groups and shouted a line, did a little dance to a song until all had taken part, it was lovely .

[DeWe]

Tbh I think children voting on it is awful. Personally I think they vote for far too much at school anyway. So those who are popular also get all the jobs and now all the parts? And it's no point pretending that they'll vote for the best actor/ess, they won't they'll vote for their friends, or who they want to be their friend...

Dd1 tended to get good/best parts. She's not confident in rl, but is a very competant performer. At times, actually I got a bit embarrassed and suggested to one teacher she didn't have to always get it but don't tell her becasue she wasn't always the most suited to the part.
Dd2 never gets anything much. She was really hopeful this year because they auditioned for the first time and she's a good actress. However the parts went to the usual suspects, including a couple of dramatic parts which I have on good authority (not her) are being said in a deadpan voice... She is inkeeper number 4, which is her biggest part at school to date and has, as she informed me, exactly 14 words.

[Takver]

I think dd's school hits just the right note in that every child in the top two years gets a good part but they do play to their individual strengths.

So eg you can guess who will get a solo, who will have lots of lines - but those who don't sing & aren't good at remembering words will have a part where they are on stage more, maybe a solo dance, or have a really nice piece of comedy business that will get a big round of applause.

Mind you this is the school where one year the absolute star parts were the two cleaning ladies in Herod's castle