A red background with three white crosses silhouetted againsted. The text reads Carlisle Passion Play Easter 2019.

The Carlisle Passion Play was performed in the City Centre of Carlisle, at 11.00am and 2.00pm on Saturday April 13, 2019. This was with the support of the local churches in and around Carlisle. Classic Theatre Cumbria produced it, each performance lasted about one hour 20 minutes. John Davies was the Artistic Director – he also wrote and directed the play. During the two performances, an audience of about 1,000 people watched the Easter story unfold around and amongst them. This is a modern, contemporary interpretation. Showing that a story happened two thousand years ago is relevant for today’s society.

Produced by Classic Theatre Cumbria and supported by the Diocese of Carlisle, the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church, Churches Together, the Salvation Army, and the free churches in Carlisle, this exciting production was a fabulous display for the whole family.

It was real street theatre in the tradition of its English roots in the Medieval Mystery Plays. The Director even included his re-working of the earliest ‘play’ in British Theatre, the Quem Quaeritis? trope, depicting the visitation of the three Marys to the empty tomb. The play began and ended very movingly with this scene.

The whole of the City Centre’s historical Town Hall Square became the play’s backdrop. The cast performed the Carlisle Passion Play on a specially constructed stage. Classic Theatre Cumbria produced the play (founded in 2014 by John Davies MA, ALAM and Irene Roberts-Green). Classic Theatre Cumbria is dedicated to staging plays in the classical repertoire, preferably in interesting venues. And in support of local charities. John has some amazing ideas for how to stage the Passion Play.

I was at the Passion Play this afternoon and thought it was brilliant and there were very complimentary comments from everyone around me.  Quite a challenge, putting a play on there and you rose to it wonderfully.  Well done! And what a good turn-out.  So glad the sun shone for you

I found the whole experience exciting, emotional and spiritually uplifting and compelling – it’s created a wonderful memory of working with a great group of people and a great enterprise that will endure for a long time.

A truly memorable performance, beautifully crafted, sensitively acted and directed, with music. Loved it!!!!!!!!!!!