GAINFORD has played a crucial role in a huge outdoor Passion Play that has been years in the making and had to be “resurrected” after Covid.
Not only has the performance that will be staged on Good Friday, in Bishop Auckland, been produced by village vicar, Revd Eileen Harrop, but many of the cast are from Gainford Amateur Dramatic Society (GADS).
With a cast of more than 50 and a backstage crew of about 30, it has been a mammoth task for the vicar to pull together.
She said: “Four years ago we decided we would go for it. It took a year to get people together because we were determined to have local people, people with no drama experience and we wanted a fully extended community, not just people from church.”
Covid-19 struck soon after the group had been brought together and by the time restrictions were lifted, many people had moved on.
Revd Harrop said: “We really didn’t know if we could resurrect what we had worked so hard, from scratch, to do.
“About half our cast was gone. Out of the 12 disciplines ten are new.”
Glyn Casswell, who is well known for strutting the stage of Gainford’s Academy Theatre as part of GADS performances, will be narrator for the Passion Play.
Revd Harrop said: “He opens the play, he carries each scene and he closes the play, so he is crucial.
Mr Casswell’s son and wife will also be performing.
The Bishop Auckland passion play uses the same script as that of The Passion of Jesus, which is an annual event at London’s Trafalgar Square.
Revd Harrop said that while the open-air production is free, it is a ticketed event, as advised by Durham County Council. Two performances will be held on Good Friday at noon and 3pm. Each performance is about an hour and 30 minutes long.
People who want to book free tickets can visit passion playbishopauckland.org.
For group bookings for more than six people email tickets@passionplaybishop auckland.org.
