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.

Yes I remember taking an afternoon off work to go and see my children show the parents maypole dancing when they were in reception- they had been talking about practice that they had spent time doing in school - watched them stand at the side shaking ribbons with 6 others, during the 2 lots of children who did show - 24 children had a turn showing the parents the many afternoons spent learning maypole dancing - this was in reception, the children who showed off their maypole dancing weren't great - but 2 months previously I had watched mine on stage in baby ballet and baby tap - when I asked them later, if they had practiced with the maypole, they hadn't ever tried maypole dancing. How do people get better at something by trying and being inclusive early on, so you can explore and have a go particularly for shows put on for parents of the year group only (and sport). By secondary these options are often to wider than parents of the class and therefore production value is important as tickets have been sold.

All through primary the same girl always got the lead part in any play we did. I was always relegated to shepherd or ‘chorus ‘ or occasionally narrated.
While she was angel Gabriel or the princess etc. She had long blond hair and was pretty.
Someone else got the lead in the P7 leavers musical and she had an amazing voice.
The next day there had been a ‘mistake’ and the usual girl was given the part instead despite not being able to carry a note.
Her mum was the head of the PTA. 🤔

I think it’s a difficult one with plays and think the parts should be given on merit

So they teach all year that everyone is equal. Except for plays and football.

I would say a play is an ideal time for a shy child to learn some additional skills. Same the loud children to learn to sit quietly and learn it’s not all about them.

At the end of the play ALL the children know ALL the lines you can see them mouthing them.

We even had children with disabilities perform and they were the real show stoppers.

The same Angel every year does piss parents off, because to be honest there isn’t ever only one child capable of reading lines and performing.

I agree regarding the best parts going to the best actors/readers/singers (if they also put the effort in). Just as in everything else, eg sports teams. As long as there are auditions/team trials, so that anyone gets a chance to outshine the usual "stars" and be picked, that's fair. If they don't outshine them, they won't be picked. That's life. We feel bad for them as parents, but it's a life lesson and can be managed positively.

I mean everyone IS equal - they should all be given an equal chance to audition. But then the best one should be chosen. I don’t think it does kids any harm to learn that ‘everyone is equal’ doesn’t mean ‘you should be chosen for opportunities over others who are more suitable.’

One of my children dances extensively outside of school. Very happy performing on stage. She was often chosen for leading parts in school because she is good on stage. My others were frequently Shepherd Number Four, Dancing Star, or Animal in the Manger. They were less easygoing, less reliable, or less confident on stage. That’s life. My older daughter won’t be chosen first in football because she’s not very good. My younger daughter is normally chosen first in sports because she is very good and high energy. This is how it works. Equality doesn’t mean everyone getting what they want all the time.

UKS2 teacher here. I have to find a play/performance to suit 90 children which will take place in a church with 2 microphones. We are in the OFSTED window, so can't spend time rehearsing because all the other subjects have to continue in an already overcrowded curriculum. Hall time for rehearsals will be minimal because one of our our 'Deep Dive' subjects is PE.

The parents complain about EVERYTHING so what ever we do will be wrong.

This thread has been thoroughly depressing and makes me wonder why we bother.

We put on a panto at my school before Christmas and it was a nightmare. So many children auditioning for parts, then getting stage fright and refusing to go on stage to read their lines, even in rehearsal. Lots changing their minds and backing out last minute. The obligatory bunch who didn't bother learning their lines.

If you want it to actually be a good play, you have to pick the kids who are:

1. Audible
2. Expressive
3. Brave
4. Reliable

NOTHING whatsoever to do with pushy parents. In fact, pushy parents make me dig my heels in more and refuse to do what they want.

None of the things you said at the bottom are whole class activities. The play is a whole class activity. There needs to be a balance of merit based things that aren't. A whole class play shouldn't be solely merit based and should never be the same child every year, if you're lucky enough to go to a school that has an annual class play.

I feel so sorry for teachers sometimes.

The leads in school plays need to be children who will definitely learn their lines, who will show up at rehearsals and who are confident enough to stand up in front of an audience and speak clearly without whispering/mumbling/getting stage fright.

I went to a school where we put on plays twice a year - one at Christmas and one in the summer. Yes, the leads generally went to the same mix of 6-8 children every year - because those children were reliable, turned up and didn't mess about.

Our plays required you to give up the odd Saturday and Sunday, plus the odd evening - there was no point giving the lead roles to children whose parents couldn't (or wouldn't) get them to school for weekend or evening rehearsals.

On one hand, it's unfair that the same children are always chosen, but the flipside is the teachers are giving up their time for free to do this, and it's not particularly fair to expect them to put on a play when the lead roles can't or won't do their parts properly.

I suppose that's the question though- is it worth it? If children are routinely getting upset by it, parents complaining and probably struggling to get time off work to see the play, teachers are having to give up their free time on top of an already ridiculous workload, is the outcome worth it? Is there a way to nurture a love of drama of give children a chance at it in other ways?

Its usually the PTAs kids who get the lead roles each year, must be a coincidence 😉

I’ve only got one kids left in primary and I’m delighted as there’s none of this nonsense in secondary education.

I have mixed feelings on this one. Of course everybody should be given a chance to be involved, but I also think that it is wise and correct for school to allow children the opportunity to follow their interest and strengths. It doesn’t make sense for the child who is outgoing, enjoys acting and performs well to be given a small part in the name of ‘fair’. The same way I would expect that the children who are particularly strong at maths would be entered into the maths competitions, the children who enjoy literacy given the opportunity to compete in a spelling bee, the children who love writing to be entered into a story telling event or chosen to listen to an author reading. Schools job is to follow children’s interests and provide exciting learning experiences based on those, surely? I don’t think my child (who is also primary school age) should necessarily be given the same opportunity as everyone for every activity they do.

I was always given a male character to play (I’m female) because I was taller than everyone including all the boys. All I wanted was to play girly character and to wear a dress.

there were no auditions, same people got the same parts each time

Newsflash: parents are not unbaised and not always a fantastic judge of their child's own ability. You are natually going to view your child's ability in a more positive light than others; it would be weird if you didn't.

If you weren't there at the auditions, then you don't really know how your child performed compared to others.

I'm not saying teachers are completely subjective but the vast, vast majority care about ALL the children in the class and want them to succeed. They are likely to be less biased than a parent.

Equality here means equality of opportunity which means that they all get to audition. This is what life if like in the real world - anyone ever applied for a job??? If your child didn't get the part, well, maybe they aren't that good.

Also, my daughter got one line in her Christmas play! She does enjoy acting but she also has a short attention span and fidgets an awful lot so it seems somewhat fitting.

What if your child sucks at everything or is moderate across the board? Maybe a play is a good chance to let them do something.

They can still have a part though, just not necessarily a main role?

YANBU op, I'm really sorry your DS is so upset and it must be horrible to see. My DD did a drama thing last summer and every child had 2-3 lines at in the show the end of the week. There was a few kids that sung solos but it was literally 1-2 lines so no big stars! Everyone sang 3-4 songs as a group. I really think something like this would be so much better for school play, everyone feels involved.

There is no child that 'sucks across the board'.

I totally agree with you OP - but I don't think this happens universally. I was very impressed by my DD's year 6 play. Not for my DD, she didn't want a big part, not the slightest bit interested in auditioning (she had done drama with Perform out of school and didn't feel the need) - but for the DC who got the main part. This girl was one of the shy girls all the way through (not a particular friend of DDs, although not disliked, just moved in different social circles and very shy). I don't think she had ever had the main part in anything - but she had recently blossomed and the teachers had spotted her. And I have to tell you - you couldn't take your eyes off her when she was on stage, she was incredible - I said to her mother afterwards, I hope she goes on to do drama in some form, because she really had something, she dominated the stage. Total kudos to the teachers.

On the other hand my DS refused to try for any of the parts in his Year 6 school (different school) because we had just got the bullying to stop, and he was scared that if he got a main part it would start again. He had always been interested in drama etc - one of the reasons we enrolled him in Perform out of school (and then DD did it too, even though much less her interest). He went on to do his LAMDA Musical Theatre grade 7 and has acted in some university plays.
Unfortunately a lot of teachers do tend to favour students, it is just the way it is, and yes it is a real shame. I don't know if Perform is still running (my DC went many years ago now), but it was a fabulous environment if you can afford it. And there are people out there offering LAMDA or similar grades in drama and musical theatre, and people tutoring it. I think you just have to take the attitude that with 30 or so children in a class, school will fail your DC in some way or another, and you need to work out what those places are and supplement. If what they need are drama opportunities, see if you can find out of school options. If the maths teaching is useless, maybe it is a maths tutor. If school thinks that only maths and English are important and provides pathetic music and art options, and your DC are interested, see what you can find (I found summer day camps a fabulous alternative, helped me stay in work and gave the DC exposure to all the areas schools are so often so poor on - but you do have to be able to afford them, they are not cheap).

absolute bollocks.
If a child wants to say some lines - let them. A good teacher gives everyone a chance that wants it and provides encouragement and support if they freeze with an understudy to take over if need be. A good teacher by the end of the school year knows their pupil and will be able to see if things get too uncomfortable that they need to step in.
Its the same every bloody year here too and I’ve had 3 kids.
A could of favourites get picked out in yR or y1 and they get the main part every year until they leave school.
I had one child who always wanted a part. Once she auditioned for a singing part age 6 in class and everyone laughed. Teacher did nothing and chose someone else. That was almost 10 years ago and she still has a horrible memory of it now and how it made her feel.
Thank god my next two children didn’t care about getting a part as it made things 100x times easier through all the assemblies and plays etc.
Secondary school is so much better in this in my opinion. Pupils are chosen on work and merit and far less opportunity to be a favourite

As a parent and teacher I see it from both sides. I have cast the child of the 'pushy parent' a main role as he shined during the audition. This was all on his own merit and nothing to do with his parents. I have a child who comes across as the 'bully' in my class and pupils/parents complain about him all the time as he now has that label as a troublemaker. It is not always his fault when he reacts to the other children antagonising him, and if only they knew of his homelife. So yes, he does sometimes deserve a break and have someone to believe in him.
As a teacher, I really hate this time of year with the school plays, you really want everyone to be happy but know that it is an impossible task and there will disappointed kids, pissed off parents who feel their child has been overlooked once more and behind the scenes a seriously frazzled teacher who is trying to hold it all together whilst dealing with their own child's disappointments.

I did I was very middling at all. I just mean sure there are some who might have more of an interest or be more gifted at particular things, but that doesn't mean others should get a chance at primary school age IF they want to.

No one ‘sucks at everything’. If a teacher genuinely thinks a child has no strengths at all then they clearly aren’t doing a very good job at bringing out the best in the children.

Also, I didn’t say they shouldn’t be involved. I said they don’t necessarily need a main part.

I don't understand this talk about favourites. Surely most primary school children have different teachers each year. If these decisions are being made on the basis of favouritism rather than merit, how likely is it that multiple different teachers will favour the same child every year? What is it about that child that makes them such a "favourite" with every single teacher, I wonder?

Also, a word of caution re extracurricular drama activities... you may find that it is still the same children getting picked for the main roles even in a different context!