THE
PASSION
Miracle
Play at Chelmsford Cathedral
26.03.12
Jim Hutchon was in the Cathedral:
It
is fitting that the Cathedral at the heart of our shiny new city
should, in one of its first public showings, play host to a
community-wide version of the Passion plays. Director Alison Woollard
has kept up this fine tradition with a motley crew of some of the
City’s fine amateur actors, Christians and bewildered passers-by,
all of whom threw themselves into the play with a ‘passion’.
Jakob
Kerek as Jesus was particularly impressive, especially when carrying
his cross - the size of a smallish articulated lorry. Escorting him
were three knights –a study in cold-blooded cruelty (James French,
Kenton Church and William Snagge). His Betrayer Judas (James Crozier)
had an especially malevolent air and deserved his rejection when he
tried to recant his sin. Blazing through the whole production was the
awesome figure of Pilate, played with impressive authority and power
by Simon Pothen. A John the Baptist with wheels on his heels (Tonio
Ellis) had to be seen to be believed.
The
Disciples and assorted onlookers periodically formed themselves in to
a highly disciplined choir, led by Kathy Shiels who took on much of
the specially written music for this production – composed by
Chelmsford’s Patrick Appleford – and made the vaulted rafters of
even this august venue ring out.
Since
Alison’s last exercise in the Cathedral, we have come to expect
something spectacular, and the Cross didn’t disappoint. This twenty
foot construction of welded tube must have caused sleepless hours
over its design, erection and safety by Tech Director Brian Greatrex
and others. It was hoisted by the knights with Jesus ‘nailed’ to
it, which hurled him fifteen feet into the air for the closing
sequences, to genuine gasps of appreciation from the audience.
production photograph: Robert Hall
