By Andy Drozdziak
A new passion play, inspired by Catholic group Wintershall, is due to take place in Bishop Auckland on Good Friday.
Bishop Auckland’s passion play has been inspired by open-air performances about the life of Jesus organised by the Wintershall estate, which have taken place in Trafalgar Square, London. Wintershall’s mission is ‘to share the Bible story with those of all ages, of all faiths and none, through the presentation of high-quality drama.’
Rev. Eileen Harrop is the producer of the passion play. She has high hopes. “This endeavour testifies to the collective effort of Churches Together in this town and the wider north east of our faith in God to overcome significant challenges of the pandemic, of our conviction to deliver the greatest story, the love at the Cross, and the eternal victory of the resurrection,” she said.
The play was originally due to take place in 2020, but the pandemic prevented this. Now there has been ‘a herculean effort’ to stage the play in 2022. “We’ve had to place our trust in God,” Rev Eileen said. “The main thing now is that our director is still on board. The main cast are still on board.”
Rev. Eileen also shared with the Universe the structure of the performance. “This is a promenade play, which means the audience is invited to move around following the scenes as crowds followed Jesus in his final days and hours,” she said.
“We have a whole original soundtrack, created for television and movies, distinctive and unique, sounds which will conjure up the atmosphere of Jesus’ time.”
The Passion Play is part of a national event and will be performed simultaneously in London’s Trafalgar Square, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bath, produced with the permission of Wintershall. The play is a free event, but the local authority requires it to be ticketed. Rev. Eileen’s own passion for the production shines through as she shares her excitement at the upcoming play.
“How can I not be passionate when I have the whole cast walking in the footsteps of Jesus and of those who were personally called to be with him?” she said. “What we’re offering speaks for itself-the Gospel message. God’s word coming alive speaks for itself. We’re just sharing this passion we have for this living story.”
Two 90-minute performances will take place in Bishop Auckland’s Market Place at 12 noon and 3pm on Friday 15th April.
Tickets can be booked online: https://passionplaybishopauckland.org/ or by calling 01388 603431