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Preston Passion Play took place in Preston on Good Friday, April 14th, 2017 starting at 11.30. It was a difficult day with heavy rain from 6am till the moment we started at 11.30, temperature 8 degrees but strong wind.

Preston Passion Play script

We incorporated drug dealing by Barabbas into the Temple/market scene which happened in slow motion as the transfer took place. The early conspirators were a councillor and disenchanted cleric who were addressing the public after street disturbances and riots. Barabbas was a leader in this. The play was completely contemporary in dress and language. As we are in Lancashire we used homing pigeons when Jesus overturned the tables. He made his entrance behind Mary Magdalene on her moped.

Top comment from a church worker: it was like hearing the Gospel for the first time! Twenty two performers wore mics, and the extras ad-libbed throughout. The Preston Passion Play cast numbered 62. Preston Concert Band were 40. The overture was composed for us; musicians played some 20 pieces of music. The choir (volunteers) were 40+ Film by students from Salford University with equipment from Media City, Manchester.

The Route and its Stages

Full wheelchair access and shelter was provided. Winckley Square Gardens were the venue for the major part of the play. We were the inaugural major event in the Square thus garnering much enthusiasm and great photos. The Way of the Cross was over a mile long! The length of the gardens allowed us to complete the heckling and three falls. We then processed along our main thoroughfare, Church Street which is a shared, paved space. This caught the attention of all shoppers at mid-day on a Bank Holiday.

Finally we staged the crucifixion scene on the Flag Market, the venue for all major public events. This was full and many extra spectators engaged. We staged the final scenes on the steps of the Victorian Harris Museum and Art Gallery, another listed building which was the backdrop to the crucifixion. This gave us iconic photos to publish and share with the media.

Press Coverage of the play

The Lancashire Post (main Daily) gave us a great press with stunning photos on the front page, an extra cover double and a double page inside. They also live-streamed the broadcast and it was watched by 13,500 on the day. Scrolling alongside were many comments: watching from Western Australia, Eastern Australia, Brazil, Winnipeg, Poland, Germany, Spain, from a place of incredulity…….! This is on the Facebook page. They also provided about 80 photos.

BBC Lancashire did us proud. Mainly through Joe Wilson, their main presenter. Joe covers many national major events and presents the Sunday morning faith-based breakfast programme. He had already interviewed me and called me on air another 5 times. In addition he attended the last half, interviewed me the moment the play was over. He played a sequence about 2 minutes on BBC TV news as well as producing an album of extra photographs. The news sequence has 8.3k views.

  • Actors dressed as army officers speak to the crowd beside a white marquee with the words Changing Lives on it.
  • A crowd holding umbrellas watch a scene featuring army officers from the Preston Passion Play.
  • A group of actors, two men wearing blue hoodies with Team Jesus on the back, an army officer and a man in a black suit act a scene in garden in Preston.
  • Actors depicting army officers enact a scene where they arrest someone in a cap and jacket as the crowd looks on in the city centre.
  • A man wearing a blue hoody bows and holds another actor's face as the crowd watches in a scene from the Preston Passion Play.
  • A group of children dressed in sports uniform give out bread rolls from baskets to the crowd watching the Preston Passion Play.
  • A crowd follows a group of actors dressed as army officers wearing red caps and camouflage uniforms. In front is Jesus carrying a cross.
  • A group of army officers wearing red caps and camouflage uniforms holding long batons as they act a scene in the Preston Passion Play.
  • A crowd watches a scene performed outside an historic building in Preston acted by a group of actors wearing modern dress.
  • A man in a white hoody playing Jesus and two actors in blue perform a scene from the Preston passion play, on the steps of an historic building.