Help bring the greatest story ever told
to every town & city across the UK
How are donations used?
The Passion Trust gives 100% of donations to supporting Passion Plays in the UK. The trust also provides support and resources, including scripts, costumes and props, free of charge in addition to all donations.
Your donation will be of vital support to ever-growing numbers of producers, directors, actors and large volunteer cast and crew. Help us fulfil our vision to see a Passion Play in every town and city across the UK.
Passion Play Viewers
The Impact of Passion Plays
2020/2021
Cancelled due to Covid-19
2019
£72,997
Raised in total by the Passion Plays who received grants
658
Volunteers and cast members supported
53,500+ (live)
and 280,500+ (live-streamed)
People reached with the Easter story
2018
£64,800
Raised in total by the Passion Plays who received grants
600+
Volunteers and cast members supported
26,645+ (live)
and 103,000+ (live-streamed)
People reached with the Easter story
2017
£138,817
Raised in total by the Passion Plays who received grants
1,170+
Volunteers and cast members supported
32,846+ (live)
and 118,500+ (live-streamed)
People reached with the Easter story
2016
£55,327+
Raised in total by the Passion Plays who received grants
468+
Volunteers and cast members supported
28,000 + (live)
People reached with the Easter story
2015
£30,279 +
Raised in total by the Passion Plays who received grants
279 +
Volunteers and cast members supported
24,000 + (live)
People reached with the Easter story
Success Stories
The Birmingham Passion were part of Britain’s Easter Story documentary shown on BBC1 on Good Friday and had coverage on BBC West Midlands News and BBC West Midlands radio. (Grant awarded £8,000). 2019
The Carlisle Passion was followed from casting to performance and review by ITV Local News, BBC Local Radio, the local newspapers, the City’s Monthly magazine and the Diocesan Newspaper ‘The Way’. (Grant awarded £3,000). 2019
The director of the Lancashire Passion Play was interviewed by the head of BBC Radio Lancashire’s faith programming and the production will be featured via an interview with the director in a forthcoming edition of the Church Times. (Grant awarded £2,200). 2019
The Wirral Passion Play was part of a four-day Easter event on the Wirral which made into a radio documentary by Flame Christian Radio with interviews and sounds from the live events. (Grant awarded £5,000). 2018
The Lanarkshire Passion Play was performed by a core cast of 52 drawn from ten local churches. Subway provided bread to feed the five thousand and for the last supper table. Asda provided free hot drinks and secure storage for sound equipment. (Grant awarded £2,600). 2018
The Great Waltham Passion Play was performed in various locations in the village over three nights. The audience included around 20 people who came out of the pub to watch Jesus being led up to the high ridge outside the village to be crucified. The congregation in church on Easter Sunday morning was almost three times the normal Easter congregation. (Grant awarded £2,000). 2017
The Chinnor Passion worked with local schools. St Andrew’s and Mill Lane Primary School choirs joined in the celebrations with their own song written and composed by a 16-year-old from Chinnor. (Grant awarded £2,250). 2017
The Havant Passion Play was performed to a live audience of 1,200 and a self-funded DVD is being produced and will be distributed to local groups free of charge. (Grant awarded £3,250). 2017
The Marlborough Passion Play had a team of 140 local people who produced it, made costumes, set, props, managed press and publicity, raised funds, and manned the street closures. Over 200 local school pupils were involved as well. (Grant awarded £4,000 ). 2017
The Bolton Passion worked with eleven primary schools, through the ‘Create’ Bolton Art competition. The town centre chaplaincy partnered to help display this work around the town in the shops and organize the arts competition. They had some beautiful and thoughtful work that depicted Easter hope. (Grant awarded £2800). 2016
The director of the Passion Play that toured Lanarkshire was interviewed on “This Morning with…” on Radio Scotland on Palm Sunday (weekly listeners 749,000) and the performance had British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation, which opened up the play to a new audience. (Grant awarded £1,500). 2019
The Southampton Passion Play was a one-man performance lasting 40 minutes which was performed on 10 occasions in key locations around Southampton. (Grant awarded £2,000). 2019
The Duddingston Kirk Passion was performed just after a late downfall of snow in Edinburgh. Despite this, an elderly lady who struggled round the whole route with her walking aid, phoned the minister that evening to declare it was the best Easter she had ever had. (Grant awarded £1,000). 2018
The Hucknall Passion Play raised over £1,000 which was subsequently distributed amongst the churches in the Anglican Team and local charities. (Grant awarded £400). 2018
The Edinburgh Passion Play was overlaid with the Scots accent and was highlighted in both the morning news on Radio Scotland and the main evening Scottish TV news. (Grant awarded £1,200). 2017
The Hamilton Passion Play involved local arts groups. A local children’s theatre company, Gillybeans, brought additional children to be involved while award-winning brass band Coalburn Silverband and musicians from Hamilton Grammar provided musical accompaniment. (Grant awarded £3,000). 2017
The Manchester Passion Play was filmed by the BBC and it was on the Songs of Praise on Easter Sunday with 5 million viewers. It was also featured in all the national papers. (Grant awarded £2000). 2017
The Bedford Passion formed a fruitful relationship with Roman soldiers from the Roman Reenactment groups – Legio Secvnda Avgvsta and The Colchester Roman Society. They were introduced to each other by the Passion Trust and the Woman Reenactment groups helped with costumes and building the stage set. (Grant awarded £2800). 2016
The ‘City Passion’ in Chelmsford pioneered a school tour, ‘The Mystery of the empty tomb’, which also raised funds and awareness for ‘City Passion’. Five schools in Chelmsford were visited in Four days. Pupils watching five different performances had a fun and thought provoking day which they will probably remember for a long time! (Grant awarded £2000). 2016