School play....why do auditions???

[Schoolmum2468]

It's school play season AGAIN...and again the same old story happening again. (3x DC...always the same story)

I told DH weeks ago when we found out the play who would be given which parts. And low and behold....I was correct.

And my DC has come home in tears because they weren't given any of the parts they auditioned for. Even the extra part the teacher asked them to audition for

The child who told mine not to bother going for part A because it was their part...yup got the part

The pushy parents child got the main part (AGAIN!!!)

"Shy" children who have now come out of their shells now they're the eldest in the school.... literally background scenery.

My DC's friend is also upset because they wanted a speaking part and got 1 short line "no way" type of thing

My DC wanted an acting part and got narrator (again). They've been told in the past that it's because they're a good reader....but now in yr6 after years of being narrator (both in end of year plays and Xmas nativities) they thought for the last play in primary they would try really hard to get an acting part.

So what is the point of asking children which part they want and going through auditions if teachers are going to ignore all that and just chose who they want.

And why not give other children a little bit of a chance in the spotlight if they want it. Chances are the shyer ones are going to be even more lost in secondary and this may be their last chance. It's a school play....why not add lines for children who want them. It's primary school not a theatre production!!!

If any teachers can explain why they do this year upon year....please enlighten me.

the absolute worst is a stage full of whisperers, and no one in the audience having any idea what is happening...... absolutely awful

What I quite liked that our school did in the nativity, was that the best part (as in the most lines) would be something random like a tree or a giraffe. Mary and Joseph were the 'worst' parts with no lines. But actually it worked because the kids who were given Mary and Joseph (basically the kids who wouldn't have been able to deliver a line) were as proud as punch with their parts. So win win.

@HarleyLane For us, school has a free lunch time drama club. Attend that, and you become eligible for bigger roles. So your son would have been fine - but it ensures that kids who are not willing to put in a little bit of effort don’t block up auditions. it works well (plus they learn loads)

Yeah, it’s always been a thing sadly. Thing is, most parents aren’t looking for a semi-professional performance, they want to see their DC on stage having a part in the play (providing they want to be, obviously). Football and maths events are different as it’s usually competitive but our primary used to participate in inter schools events where the emphasis was on participation and having fun, so everyone got an opportunity to take part.

My main point is if teachers know who they are going to offer the parts to....yes main part may go to the child who goes to drama clubs out of school, singing part offered to someone in the choir.... etc then why ask children which parts they want, and get them to audition for those parts, even ask them to audition for other parts with acting....if they have no intention of those parts being offered to them.

Surely a simple do you want a speaking/non speaking part question would be enough for the teachers to then work out which parts. It's year 6, they know which of the 30 are going to clam up in stage, they know which is going to call in sick on play day again, they know the children full stop.

It was the excitement and build up of "I'm going for this part" "Mrs x asked me to audition for this part too" so DC was kinda expecting one of these roles....only to be given something completely different that involved sitting doing not much the whole show....such as they have done the previous 6 years.

For what it's worth...I think my DC will be great in the part given.... It's the build up, excitement, feeling so proud they were loud and clear and more confident than ever....followed by the crippling disappointment my DC felt that has got to me today.

When I was at school we had an acting audition and an optional singing one. There was no asking us for our preference or choosing of parts we wanted...so no disappointment when we didn't get that part. We auditioned and then the teachers chose.

One of the advantages of a small school is that not only does everyone get a part, they often end up with two! Makes for interesting productions but at least everyone gets a part.

My DC for all the other plays have learnt their lines, not frozen on stage, turned up with script every day and tried their best. Why could they not be given a chance to also show some acting. They have no desire to be the main part, just something that involves a costume and some acting.

Their friend with the one line but some acting has said they'll swap... My DC said they'd love to but Mrs x probably won't let them 😆

I think that's all they want....their last year, their last play and not to be stood at the side, occasionally walk into the middle, whilst wearing smart clothes.....whilst all their classmates get the big fancy costumes and make up and wigs.

I tried calling school to speak but teacher had left. There is now a snotty message on the class message group basically saying what they say goes, like it or lump it.

All I wanted to discuss was that my DC wasn't happy and see if there was a way to move forward so they can enjoy the experience more. But now I'm more annoyed.

It is a real shame when this happens. This happened at my child's school recently (and has done every year actually, they are also year 6). They didn't have auditions though as the teacher just decided who would be delivering which parts of the performance. It was the same kids who have delivered the main parts every time.
My child attends dance and drama classes outside of school and regularly competes and performs in professional productions - they would have been delighted to have a part and would have done really well. However their teacher has never really listened when they've tried to discuss their interests and has just assumed that they wouldn't be any good at it because they aren't very forthcoming in class in relation to answering questions about school work etc even when they know the answers.
I watched the performance thinking that there were probably loads of other kids who would also have been great and would have loved the opportunity to take part but they're just never seen. Luckily my child wasn't too bothered because they do have loads of opportunities through their interests outside of school, although they were a little bit annoyed that it was just assumed they wouldn't manage the part.
Having watched my child take part in classes outside school, I can see how valuable they've been in terms of confidence, reading, social skills etc. It's a real shame that the benefits of these things often aren't recognised in schools and shared across all of the children equally.

@justme202 Again, it's a primary school. Not the west end. Freezing on stage is not the end of the world. You sound like a really problematic teacher that should probably take a post in a performing arts school.

Going back to the mid 1970s my school did a show that consisted of each class doing their own short play/ comedy sketches/ music. Everyone got a part that wanted it. We kids wrote some of the plays/ sketches and then performed. I did a comedy sketch with a number of classmates. It was the only time I got to 'act' .
It was then performed to parents over the course of a few evenings.

Be grateful they even do a play, our school does nothing - christmas 'concert' of two songs for reception/y1/y2 and thats it!

@Heckythump1 Be grateful you've got something bla bla bla. Get a grip. She's allowed a rant.

At DDs school they had to join the drama club, then they were asked if they wanted a small, medium or big part. While obviously not everyone got the major parts, they were all happy with what they've got. The art club makes the props and scenery, the dance club does the dances, and nearer the time there will be FOH parts.

I feel your pain. DCs first primary had horrendous habit of favouring the children of teachers of whom there were a fair few. The puppet competition was the worst example. A child came in brandishing a rather good puppet at registration and loudly announced his grandmother had made it for him right in front of the teacher. T devised a puppet made from a washmitt with sticky felt that turned out well. I supplied a photographic record of him making it. The other child - whose parent was a teacher - won the competition for his class!

At my children's school it is always the same handful of pupils who get all of the opportunities. They are the main parts in the play, school councilors, reading ambassadors etc. It is no coincidence that they are all autumn born. The children who turned five shortly after starting in reception were genuinely more confident and capable due to being nearly twenty five percent older. Being given lots of opportunities has increased their confidence and abilities even further. They are the dependable ones the teachers are still choosing five years later. Luckily my two summer born DC have had positive experiences in out of school activities.

If I was a primary school teacher, I'd choose a play that had a wide variety of parts and roles, then ask the children what they wanted to do and adapt the play accordingly (so eg anyone who wanted to be a dancer could be). I wouldn't choose a play with just a handful of main parts if lots of the class wanted them and I don't think most parents care about high quality productions.

@universityhelp You sound amazing. I think what most people here are forgetting is that this sounds like its a whole class play. It's not like a whole school thing you audition for if you're into drama.

It's a class play... I for one am not expecting to go and watch a west end musical when I pay my £3 for a ticket.
I'm going to watch my child and their friends having fun in their LAST play together before they go off to different secondary schools.

If they freeze there will be a friend next to them whispering the line, or a teacher prompting them. It's not the end of the world if they do.
Its a bunch of 10/11 year olds...it's not going to be perfect and anyone who expects this is unreasonable and deluded.

@Schoolmum2468 yea some of the responses here are bizarre. Actually, they probably make sense given how often this happens. A primary teacher saying they won't give a part to a child in case they freeze of forget a line? Lol.

I feel your pain. You can predict who will get which part well before the 'auditions'.

To be fair, both of my children had good parts in the early years as they could read and remember lines. But once they lost that advantage, the children of certain parents were always picked and it had little to do with talent, or even that the children wanted to learn lines, practice or perform.

Who knew that Sonewhere Over The Rainbow was that long when it's sung that badly. Hopefully I wont experience anything like that again.

On the subject of freezing...
My elder DD had (still has) Selective Mutism. She was still given a line in a class presentation, with the caveat it didn't matter if she said it or not. Just four words, whereas everyone else had 3 or 4 lines.

She managed it. Quietly, but she did it. Her classmates hugged her. And the massive smile on her face afterwards. It was the first time most of the parents had heard her talk in two years.

The teacher believing in her helped her massively.

TA here. We usually get the office staff or a governor to judge competitions, they have no idea whose entry belongs to who. Every school I have worked in does similar. Maybe the children of teachers produced the best entries.

Maybe the children of those certain parents (I am guessing parents who get involved in school life volunteering in some way), picked up their parents ethos of volunteering, putting themselves out there and having a go - this may have served them well in auditions and applying for roles.