Michael Sheen’s three-day Passion play which will take over Port Talbot next week portrays a reality which changes lives, says the Archbishop of Wales.
The Passion, created by Sheen and performed by National Theatre Wales/ Wildworks together with Sheen and a cast of 1,000 local people, will be played out in real time from Good Friday to Easter Sunday, beginning and ending on Aberavon beach.
Sheen’s story of a missing teacher has echoes of the life of Jesus Christ and church members will be closely involved as they prepare for Easter. Sheen will join parishioners at St Mary’s Church on Sunday evening (April 17) – Palm Sunday – to light candles as a sign of prayer and the church will be open for prayer and refreshments all day on Saturday (April 23) while the drama unfolds just outside the churchyard. One of the parishioners lighting candles will be Alan Davies who took part in the Margam Passion Play, “Behold the Man”, which inspired Sheen to conceive The Passion.
In a message to parishioners which will be read out at the 6pm service this Sunday, the Archbishop, Dr Barry Morgan, praises the production. He says, “The passion story is the most powerful story in the Christian Gospel. It shows us that in and through Jesus God loves his world with such passionate intensity that he becomes part of it and is willing to die it. In and through Jesus, we are assured that whatever we face God is alongside us, enduring it with us.
“Port Talbot needs the strength of this salvation story, just as we all do. National Theatre Wales and Wildworks portray a reality which changes lives. It will do this in Port Talbot and I am delighted that Michael Sheen and his company are taking over the town with this story.”
Canon Nigel Cahill, Rector of Aberavon, who will be handing out 500 free copies of St Luke’s Gospel to visitors, said, “The story that is unfolding on our streets in the next week will mirror that of Jesus Christ, and it comes at a time when Christians throughout the world will be remembering the great themes of betrayal, sacrifice and love. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to do what we are here to do: worship God and pray for people.”
Alan Davies said, “I am delighted that Michael Sheen has spoken of how he was motivated when younger by many of those I am going to remember Sunday night as I light my candle in St Mary’s. I had the privilege of acting with Michael in a production to celebrate Glan Afan School’s Centenary some years ago.”
Len Jones (pictured), former Churchwarden of St Mary’s and Secretary of the Llandaff Diocese Lay Preachers, whose family had to move from Richards Terrace when the town was re-designed, will light a candle at the service on Sunday for displaced people in the world today.
Len said, “We are all wishing this production well. It is an exciting time for our town and for our church, and we want to make the building available for anyone who feels the need for peace.”
