Starting Small
Putting on a Passion Play may seem like a daunting task and a huge commitment. It is sometimes hard to know where to start. If you are considering putting on a Passion Play but it you are still working out how to get your core team together or reading through our manual and resources, you might like to make the first step by organising a Walk of Witness in your local community.
Some people also organise a ‘Stations of the Cross’ event in their church. You can see images from a Good Friday procession based on the stations of the cross in Hastings Old Town on Good Friday here.
Beginning to grow
Taking the next step towards a Passion Play may be to use drama or music to expand your Walk of Witness. Processions of the cross through key locations in your community can be accompanied by dramatic monologues or re-enactments of specific scenes. Using flash mobs and interactive theatre are also effective.
You can see a Passion Play based on the ‘Way of the Cross’ in Gloucester here.
Growing to a small Passion Play
Putting on a small Passion Play does not need to be an impossible task. The Passion Trust can help with costumes, props, staging, and funding. Keeping it small means that costs are kept to a minimum and often there is no need for professional a sound system if the play is performed to a small audience. You can see the Passion Plays in Worcester, Hamilton, Bishop Auckland, Abingdon, and Poole.
Some people also decide to host a performance of one of the local Christian theatre companies (such as LAMPS Collective or Oddments Theatre Company) who travel around the UK with their productions.
Expanding to a large Passion Play
A large Passion Play is an exciting and rewarding experience, but it can also be a daunting one. The best plays are ones that have experienced professionals playing key roles, directing or producing. Because they perform to larger audiences, they will also need sound equipment and technicians so everyone can hear what is being said.
The Passion Trust can help with funding and advice at every stage of putting on a larger Passion Play. You can see the Passion Plays in Edinburgh, Trafalgar Square, Birmingham, and Hornchurch.
Some people also decide to partner with professional theatre companies like Saltmine which have a small group of experienced young actors who work with local communities to put on Passion Plays. Saltmine has worked with local volunteers to put on Passion Plays in Birmingham, Norwich, and Stafford. You can find out more about them here.
