‘Walk with Christ’ was performed in Hamilton town centre, Hamilton Old Parish Church and Hamilton Old Parish Church Graveyard at 12.30pm on 9th April; 7.30pm on 10 – 13th April; 7.10pm on 14th April ; and 6.30am and 10.45am on 16th April by Passion Play Lanarkshire. Between the serialised performances, an audience of just over 2000 people watched the Easter story unfold around and amongst them. Additionally, there have been over 6,500 views of recorded scenes via YouTube. In the Hamilton Passion Play, we serialised the Easter story, interwoven with regular Holy Week services. This allowed the audience to walk to the cross and beyond with Christ. It also brought a new audience into church. And also brought the Easter story to life in a new and meaningful way for committed Christians.
Cast and Production Team
The play drew a core cast of 32 from several local churches. These included Hamilton Old Parish Church, St Johns Parish Church, Cadzow Parish Church, St Mary’s Episcopal Church and the United Reformed Church. Each of these churches plus South Parish Church additionally supplied “extras” for Palm Sunday when the cast was over 50. A local children’s theatre company, Gillybeans, brought additional children to be involved. Award-winning brass band Coalburn Silverband and musicians from Hamilton Grammar provided musical accompaniment.
Duncan Rennie, a professional actor, played the role of Jesus, as he has also done on other occasions in the Edinburgh Easter Play. He brought a great professionalism to the role and lifted the performances of the community cast. A trained actor, David Edment, played Judas beautifully. The production also involved a trained actor and experienced theatre company manager as producer/director, former police chief as head of security, a professional film crew and a trained sound engineer. A time-served Carpenter turned Minister built the set, including the cross. Suzanne Lofthus provided support throughout. Kamala Jane Santos adapted the play from an Edinburgh Easter Play script, and continued to support how we translated her work for our purposes.
Performances
On 13th April, when the last supper was portrayed, three members of the local clergy played disciples. At the end of the meal, they consecrated the elements. The disciples then served communion which the audience found especially poignant.
The production team involved many others as members of the technical crew, stewarding, administration, marketing, provision of refreshments and prayer support. Many of those involved had no previous experience of such an enterprise. The ages of those involved ranged from 3 to 80+.
We utilised the Passion Trust’s support to make sure this production had the highest professional standards and values.
Wonderful. Words can’t describe it
Wonderful and very moving! Well done all involved.
