Worshippers to tell Easter story on streets of Havant

A 30-strong cast will dramatise the story of Jesus’s final days on Earth, including his trial, death and resurrection, on a stage set up in the town centre. They’ve been drawn from churches of all denominations from around Havant and Leigh Park.

They’ll attract shoppers and passers-by to stop and watch their 30-minute performance, which will be staged three times on March 30 and once on Easter Sunday 2024. It’s designed to help them understand more about why Jesus died and rose again and what difference it can make to their lives.

It’s the fourth such play that the Havant Passion Play group has staged, after previous performances in Havant Park in 2015, 2017 and 2019. It’s also the fourth play directed by James Burke-Dunsmore, who portrayed Jesus for years in The Life of Christ in Wintershall, near Guildford, and in Trafalgar Square each Good Friday. He has led rehearsals in which cast members are encouraged to think about the emotions felt by their characters as they react to Jesus's words and actions.

UPDATE: Here are the photos that I took of the live production on Saturday 30th March 2024. It was a lovely day, the weather was fine, and the actors delivered a wonderful performance - Kim & I were very moved. I've added some captions, sort of in the style of Stations of the Cross. 

www.portsmouth.anglican.org

Living Advent Calendar tells Nativity story

AMATEUR writers and actors from across the Havant area have come together to create a Living Advent Calendar. It tells the Nativity story through video, as a way to prepare for Christmas in Covid times.

The story of Jesus’s birth will be told through 26 separate dramatic monologues, each portraying a different character in the Nativity story. Every morning during Advent, a new video will be unveiled on Youtube. Those following the story can simply click on a new clip daily – the virtual equivalent of an Advent calendar, but with real people behind each window.

Some of the two or three-minute videos were recorded ahead of November’s lockdown at St Francis Church, Leigh Park. The remaining videos will be recorded once lockdown restrictions are lifted in December.

Among the characters featured are Mary, Joseph, the angel Gabriel, shepherds and Magi. But the writers have also written scripts for characters who are rarely portrayed, such as Mary’s mother, a Roman official announcing the census, and Herod’s servant.

The first video will be available on Advent Sunday – November 29 – and they will then be unveiled each day until Christmas Eve.

The project has been co-ordinated by the ecumenical Havant Passion Play group, which presented outdoor performances telling the story of Jesus in the summers of 2015, 2017 and 2019. Those performing in this new production come from churches of all denominations across Havant, Waterlooville, Emsworth, Bedhampton, Petersfield, Rowlands Castle and Leigh Park.

The Living Advent Calendar videos will be on their Youtube channel and on their website, as well as on Facebook.

www.portsmouth.anglican.org

Behold The Man! A new production from the folks at Havant Passion Play. 17 & 18 Aug 2019

This weekend Havant Passion Plays will be taking over Havant Park to perform their newest play Behold The Man, with a cast drawn from churches around the Havant area. In previous years these plays have been drawn huge crowds, presenting the gospel with excellent production and enthusiastic performances, and provide an excellent opportunity to engage in conversations about the relevance of faith and the life of the church in our communities.

Having a large, supportive audience makes a huge difference to those performing, and acts as a draw to passers-by, so we’re working with Havant Passion Plays to help get the word out and invite as many people to come as possible.

Everyone is welcome to come, and you are encouraged to bring chairs and/or picnic blankets (and picnics!) so you can enjoy the performance comfortably.

August 2019 - in Havant Park, Hampshire.

Saturday 17th - Noon & 3pm:

Sunday 18th - 3pm.

Entrance is free - please bring something to sit on.

Hope to see you there!

www.havantpassionplay.org.uk

"Jesus in the Park": Havant Park. Weekend of 12/13th August 2017

"Jesus in the Park"

Saturday 12th August 12 noon and 3pm

Sunday 13th August 3pm

Admission Free

Havant Park, Elm Lane, Havant

Havant Passion Play Limited (Charity number 1154040) invites you to join us in Havant Park for our production of "Jesus in the Park".

This is our second Passion Play, the first was in Havant Park in August 2015, where we played to about 1500 people over the two days. This year we are hoping for even bigger crowds, so we are putting on this exciting new play, three times during the weekend.

James Burke-Dunsmore, who is our writer, producer, director and lead actor, is well known for taking the role of Jesus in 'The Life of Christ' on the Wintershall Estate and in London's Trafalgar Square on Good Friday.

Entry to "Jesus in the Park' is free, but do remember to bring a rug or garden chairs to sit on, as they will not be provided by us!

Light refreshments will be on sale before and after the performances, and you may like to purchase one of our First Edition Recipes Books!

We look forward to seeing you during the weekend.

www.havantpassionplays.org.uk

About the Havant Passion Play - on Facebook