A primary school teacher has achieved a landmark win for diversity after casting an autistic pupil as Chris Packham in a school nativity.
Krista Shure, 63, was outraged at the lack of autistic representation in the original nativity story – and feared that Finley Rice, six, would be unable to authentically access the emotional range of the neurotypical characters. Over several R&D sessions, she wrote British naturalist and Springwatch host Chris Packham into the script to give Rice a role he could truly sink his teeth into.
Shure said: “Casting an autistic child as Joseph would have violated the kitchen-sink realism of the nativity play. And his audition for the angel Gabriel was too cerebral. All he had to do was tell Mary she was going to have a baby, but he started going on about how many stitches she’d need after tearing, the rubber ring she’d have to sit on for weeks afterwards and how she should probably consider getting an IUD for next time.”
Responding to accusations of tokenism, Shure argued: “Christmas Packham actually has a pivotal role in the play. He brings the baby Jesus a box of orphaned baby badgers – a poignant commentary on the plight of many of our endemic species.”
According to sources, Rice is already in talks to play Anne Hegerty from The Chase in next year’s Easter assembly.
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