DRAMA: An up-dated version of the last week in the life of Christ was presented on Maundy Thursday by our re-formed drama group.The specially-written play, with a cast of eight, was the first production since the covid pandemic brought church activities to a halt."Were You There", which mixed heartbreak and humour, portrayed events through the eyes of witnesses at the cross. Each of the cast members took on the role of one of the bystanders in the crowd on Calvary - some fictional, others straight from the gospel pages.They ranged from a reluctant crowd-controlling constable who blamed himself for Christ's death but found new strength by watching the crucifixion; to a tipsy twosome, proprietors of a Jerusalem B&B, who thanked Judas for an upturn in their fortunes, only to lose their latest customer to suicide. Links between the Holy Week events were provided by a police sergeant, a maid servant, a newsboy and two contrasting mothers - Mary the mother of Jesus and the mother of Barabbas. The aim was to portrat Christ's journey to the cross in a new and up-to-date way, with the back-stories of all the characters adding colour and realism to their roles. The play ended with a 'Were you there?' challenge to the audience, asking them to imagine what role they would have played if they had been amond the turbulent crowd. The drama formed part of an evening of words and music for Holy Week, which culminated in Holy communion.
Pictured below are the cast members.
