Passion Play Brings Crucifixion To Life In London’s Trafalgar Square
LONDON — Horses, donkeys, doves plus over 100 actors and volunteers are set to take London’s Trafalgar Square on Good Friday, as they bring the story of Christ’s Crucifixion vividly to life.
It’s an event that has become an integral part of Easter celebrations, attracting thousands of spectators, while also embracing people of all faiths and even those of none.
Over the past decade, Passion Plays have become a feature of U.K. life. Over the past few years, the London Passion Play has lead the way when it comes to such re-enactments. The idea dates back to the Middle Ages, when individual scenes would be performed at different sites around a city or town by the local guilds. Spectators would walk from one performance to the next in order to see the full performance. Many famous cycles of plays were created such as the York Mystery Plays and the Chester Mystery Plays.
Following the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, the idea of Passion plays fell out of favor in much of the U.K. For centuries, they were virtually unknown to people. With the advent of the 20th century and tourism, there were groups of pilgrims traveling to abroad to watch, for instance, the Passion Play at Oberammergau, Austria, held once every decade. It was in 2010 that Passion Plays became a part of British life during Holy Week.
It was due to the work of one charity named Wintershall. Founded to bring the Bible story to life through drama, Wintershall initially focused on the Nativity story followed by the Life of Christ. In 2010, Wintershall was invited to bring the story of the Passion of Jesus to Trafalgar Square as a gift to the people of London. It became instantly popular and now attracts over 500,000 people every year, in addition to hundreds of thousands of people who watch it via livestream.
The success of the London event did not go unnoticed. Other smaller versions of the Passion Play began appearing in towns and cities around the country. During performances in Worcester, the volunteers even included the former Bishop of Worcester, the Right Rev. John Inge, who took the role of the Bad Thief who curses Christ and then crucified on a cross.
The number of Passion Plays vary each year depending on volunteers and site availability. This year, Passion Plays are scheduled for Edinburgh, Exmouth, Hereford, Hull, Ipswich, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Reading and Wilmslow in addition to London’s Trafalgar Square. Many of the productions use versions of the Wintershall Passion Play script, although others have created their own.
Reading is one of the newest locations to hold a Passion Play after last year’s inaugural production.
Charley Tidy, artisitic director at Rise Theatre, a Christian organization, said they had “always thought about” putting on a Passion Play.
“The opportunity came last year by linking with the Gate Pentecostal Church,” she said. “They were doing an Easter event in Forbury Gardens, Reading and had people on site to do security and help set up. They even allowed us to rehearse in their church and we got funding from the Passion Trust. We had over 200 people watching the hour long performance even though the weather was awful. We are trying to build this up as an annual event and want to get other churches involved, and community involvement.”
Tidy added: “We aim to stay as close as possible to scripture in the play. We don’t try to over empasize any element. We use sound effects, the sound of crowds and lots of music, staying as true as possible to the Passion story. Our story starts with Jesus calling the disciples, a few parables such as the story of Mary Magdalene, then we sing the Hosanna and follow with the story of Passion.”
Some companies try to make such performances as authentic as possible, such as at Trafalgar Square where the cast are dressed in period costumes. Others. like Rise Theatre, have their actors wear modern dress. Some use only trained actors, while others are volunteers or a combination of both.
“Most people passing by stop and watch,” Tidy said. “It is a story that speaks to the heart, whether they are Christian or not. They see someone choosing to lay down his life out of love, it strikes a chord with people. It is more than just entertainment. Religious theatre and the story of the Passion speaks to the soul, nourishing and entertaining.”
Angela Youngman is a freelance journalist who has written for a wide range of British and international publications.