Elves And The Shoemaker

[Guest]

Don't know if any one would like to copy this. I have used it as an alternative to a Christmas Nativity Play. We use it with 2.1/2 years old and up. Each group of animal or people can have as many children in each group, We usually end up with about 6+ children per group. We have just tabards of different colour material for each group.i.e black spiders silver stars, red/orange fireflies etc. we also have a shoemaker and wife if need be and customer and wife, depending on how many confident children we have. we set up a "stage area with a main room and a bedroom that is open to the audience. we make sure that there is as many off stage areas for each group to hide behind, either screens or panels. (you'll understand when you read the story). the children really love it. I read the story and the children have to listen for there character for when they need to come on stage. each group does a little action and then goes of to sleep. we find that depending on the children depends on how much actions you get. its very simple and you can "Ham it up" as much as you want. and even if you do have a child that is a wanderer it doesn't matter. We start by reading a few times then practice the actions for each "animal/person", then do a couple of plain rehearsals, then a few dress rehearsals. We start doing it about 3/4 weeks before the day that we need it. a member of staff/adult/student is with each group and ushers them on in the right place.

I'm sure all you budding directors out there will find it really adaptable. We try and emphasize a moral to it like sharing looking after one another. so it does fit in to a curriculum, and because it is non religious every one can take part. hope you all like it and hope I can get the attachment bit right. good luck

THE_ELVES_AND_THE_SHOEMAKER.doc

[Rea]

I like that I wont use it myself for Christmas because I do supply but its a good one to have handy, I like to have a story to tell.

 

 

When I was in infants I was the Shoemakers wife,. Totally muffed my lines and remember the teacher frantically jestering to me. In the end the play went on around me. Stage fright The shoemaker was Philip Lacey, and I met him about 35 years later, his son was in my sons class at primary. What memories

[Guest]

if anyone does use it over christmas I would really like to know how it went. Merry Christmas to one and all