Further reading about Passion Plays

Here are two book recommendations if you are thinking of putting on a free Passion Play or taking part in one near you in the future. Easter plays are the perfect way to experience live theatre and to engage with your local community through free performance.

The Passion Play: Living the Story of Christ’s Last Days, by Rob Fuquay follows the biblical story of the Passion and how it has been experienced through the centuries against the backdrop of the Oberammergau Passion Play.

The Mystery and the Passion: Creating Holy Theatre by Richard Hasnip is a recommended read from Director Rachael Orrel, CEO of Saltmine Theatre. Explore the relationship between the theatre and the church and the explosion of new Pasison Plays today.

Many people recommend seeing (or reading) Two Planks and A Passion by Anthony Minghella. The play is set in York in 1392 and features a performance of the Mystery Plays during a royal visit from Richard II and his queen.

Their performance takes place during the Corpus Christi festival and Richard II and the Passion becomes a competition among the townspeople

Minghella’s play captures their rivalry and devotion and the Daily Mail described it as “…a play full of bustle, life, satire and at times a most moving account of simple faith.”

If you can’t find a performance or a recording, you can always read the book! You can also find out more about the history of Mystery Plays on our website here.