Roman Soldiers were there in case of trouble as people went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. Many Jews wanted rid of the Romans, and thought Jesus might lead their campaign to get out of the Roman Empire.
But Jesus did not turn out to be that kind of leader. He entered Jerusalem humbly on a donkey,welcoming children.
There was a large cast of singers and people taking part in the performance of the Abingdon Passion. One performance was at 11am. The second followed at 3pm.
Jesus upset the established religious leaders by turning the money changers out of the Temple, saying it was the house of God,and they had turned it into a den of thieves. Those leaders then looked for an opportunity to get rid of Jesus.
During the Passover meal Jesus told Judas to go and do what he had to do. Jesus was arrested later that evening and taken for trial – betrayed by Judas.
Other disciples of Jesus also let him down. Peter broke down after denying even knowing Jesus.
Jesus was brought before the Religious leaders, Pontius Pilate – the Roman Governor, and then before Herod with his harem.Herod soon got bored with Jesus because he would not speak or do any miracles, and so sent him back to Pilot for a final decision.
Jesus was brought out to be flogged.
Then Jesus was crucified.
His mother Mary was there as he died, and held his body for a few moments, before it was taken to a tomb.
The body disappeared, and somebody looking like Jesus appeared at the back of the Market Place.
Superb acting, direction, scriptwriting, music and sound system. Thanks and congrats to all involved. This old cynic had tears running down his cheeks!
Absolutely fantastic – I cannot imagine how much work must have gone in to it but it all worked perfectly. It was on a much more ambitious scale than I had expected and was a really good lesson in what can be done by a dedicated team, willing to put in the hard graft on fundraising, planning rehearsals etc and come up with a top-quality result. We have some truly talented people in this town.- they should be proud of themselves and we should be proud of them.
I agree. A really powerful piece of drama – the Crucifixion scene was deeply moving. Really impressive that our town can put on such a striking and successful piece of community theatre which can draw such big outdoor audiences.
(P.S. It’s Pilate, not Pilot!)
I’ve at last discovered what M & Co stands for – Messiah and Company!
Absolutely excellent all round. Many thanks to everyone concerned, including the back-room boys and girls, women and men, who diverted the traffic and provided warmth and refreshment to the players.
Yes indeed – it was brilliant, and brilliantly done.
I wondered how it would compare with the first Abingdon Passion Play, and was very pleasantly surprised that this production worked so well. The music and choir were excellent and there was some very sincere acting too. The actual crucifixion scene moved me greatly. Thank you to everyone involved whether on stage or behind the scenes. It was a truly uplifting happening.
It was truly amazing and very moving. A wonderful example of the power of live theatre. Many thanks for all the hard work of all involved and congratulations for such a brilliant performance.
Abingdon Passion Play: EXTRA Performance!
If you missed seeing the Abingdon Passion Play 2016,
or would welcome the opportunity to see it again
(sitting down!) in the warmth and comfort of Radley
College’s New Theatre, then take the opportunity now!
8pm Good Friday (25th March) 2016, New Theatre, Radley College.
Join us for this one-off performance and help us raise funds for the next one!
Tickets at buytickets.at/abingdonpassionplay/49619 or you can pay on the door (£7.50)
I also thought this was fantastic. What talented & dedicated people there are in Abingdon & amazing to see what can be done out in the community. Congratulations to all involved.
Thanks for the info about Radley College Performance; will try to get there.
I was so proud of Abingdon! Very well done to everyone involved.