Benjamin, Clara, and the Kung Fu Fighter

Christmas is a time for...family, giving, peace. Well, yes, but here in England, it's also a time for theater. All of the children participated in Christmas productions at their schools this month. Timmy's Year 4 class joined 3 other grades in presenting a series of Biblical plays, similar to Passion plays in format. We all gathered at the school and moved around to different areas of the grounds for performances in song, poetry and drama. Timmy's group related the Old Testament stories of the the twelve sons of Jacob and the plagues in Egypt. Since the plays were held outdoors, costumes had to accommodate the weather. Here is Timmy in costume as Benjamin, son of Jacob.

The plays covered the highlights of the Old Testament, ending with the Nativity story. They were beautifully done. It was cold, dark, and past bedtime when we finished. On the walk home, Colin said, "Mom, I wish I was already in my bed and snuggled up." At least he went to bed easily that night.

Annie's Year 2 class worked with Year 1 on an abridged version of the Nutcracker, omitting the ballet, and inserting a few songs from other settings. Annie played the part of Clara. She was brilliant, as was the rest of the ensemble. When Annie first came home and told us about her role, I think I was the only person in the family who realized that she was playing one of the lead characters. But I didn't let on so she wouldn't get too nervous about it. And she didn't: she memorized all her lines and performed with aplomb, cool as a cucumber.

Now you're thinking, "OK, I get Benjamin and Clara, but what about the Kung Fu Fighter?" Colin's school presented an original production titled "The Three Kings Get Fit for Christmas". It had a lot of not so subtle messages about eating right and getting exercise. There were a cameo appearances by Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus. Colin was among a group demonstrating Kung Fu to the Kings. They did a little choreography to the music from Kung Fu Panda (appealing to the younger audience members) and additional steps to that Christmas classic "I Want to Ride My Bicycle" by Queen (an obvious nod to the parents in the crowd).

We'll end this month by attending a professional theater (or theatre) production of Jack and the Beanstalk, a pantomime. Panto, as it is called, is a British holiday tradition in which a classic tale is performed. As I understand it, the female characters are played by men in outrageous costume and the male characters are played by women in less outrageous costume. The whole affair involves audience participation and is supposed to be a delight for the entire family. We are looking forward to it.