By Suresh Abboodass
All roads led to Trafalgar Square in London, as the solemnity and the meaning of Good Friday was brought to life, through the public display of the Passion of Jesus at the iconic tourist attraction on Good Friday.
Thousands of people from far and wide of the country, as well as a large number of tourists, irrespective of race or religion braved the cold and windy Spring weather to gather around Trafalgar Square in central London to witness the Passion Play – an epic live portrayal of the arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This ambitious play conducted and organised by the Wintershall theatre company based in the Surrey countryside, had a hundred strong cast, with the main role of Jesus enacted by a new actor Peter Bergin who made his debut last year.
What makes this live performance so special and authentic is that it features live animals and period costumes, thus bringing to 21st century London a glimpse of how life was like in Jerusalem more than 2000 years ago.
It was a real treat to watch Jesus (his hair tied up in a knot at the back till the resurrection) appear on the scene riding a donkey. And Pontius Pilate appearing majestically on a horse. Roman soldiers with their armour and helmets and carrying swords and spears thrilled the crowd.
Some of the scenes were so powerfully depicted that they were spellbinding to the viewers and there were also scenes that brought tears in their eyes.
The scene depicting the Temple where Jesus is provoked into a frenzy and gives vent to his anger by physically demonstrating his divine power, by throwing out the shopkeepers and their business paraphernalia, gave ample opportunity for Peter Bergin to prove his histrionics.
He also brought to real life the agony and the suffering of Jesus later in the play, while enacting the scene of his humiliation at the hands of the Pharisees, as well as the Romans. His way of the cross, stumbling through the streets carrying the heavy cross and falling every time and at the same time bearing the constant barrage of shouts and threats of the Roman soldiers, all brought tears in the eyes of the audience.
Stage direction deserved some admiration as the flogging scene was depicted without the actual scene being shown, but with only the audio enhancing the brutality of the flogging. There were also scenes enhancing the dramatic effect with the disciples engaging in bitter fisticuffs with the soldiers during the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane.
The climax scene brought the reality as well as the brutality of the crucifixion to real life, as the whole Trafalgar Square stood in silence. Not a soul moved. Only the sound of the nailing of the hands and feet of Jesus to the cross, could be heard with chilling effect and this nearly broke everyone´s heart.
The play ended in a joyful mood with the Resurrection of Jesus, now clad in pure white attire and His hair let lose. “Do not be afraid, spread the word of the Good News,” are his parting words to His disciples as He bids them His one final goodbye.
With all the meticulous casting, restrained acting, period costumes, make up, sound and special effects and stage direction, the whole play was a dramatic success.
Earlier Cardinal Vincent Nichols Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales thanked the Wintershall Theatre Company and the producers for their efforts and hard work in bringing out this live performance of the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. He also led the people in saying the Lord´s Prayer.
Charlotte de Klee, Producer of the Wintershall Company, who have been staging this live show for the last fourteen years, welcomed the gathering. She said that there can be no place for anti-semitisim and Islamophobia in the world. She also said that prejudices and all forms of hatred should not be tolerated in our society.
Picture: Marcin Mazur