The Cheltenham Passion Play
Good Friday 2000
Act 5 - Resurrection
At 7-15 on the morning of Easter
Sunday a group of six gardeners, with spades and forks and a couple of wheel
barrows start work on the gardens of the Imperial Gardens. They have strict instructions to look as if
they working ... but not to touch anything!!
They are wearing bright yellow jackets.
They start in the far corner nearest St Andrew’s Church and work their
way round so that as the play starts they have reached the flower beds
immediately opposite the gate into the walled Garden.
The cast meet in St Andrew’s Church
at 7-30 ready to walk across to the walled garden at 8-00.
The stage blocks are arranged in
front of the gate into the walled garden.
It is now open ... the tomb is empty.
The acting area is immediately in front of the Walled Garden.
The crowd gathers in front of the tomb. When the cast arrives all those who will tell
the story using the Baker’s Poem gather in a
big semi circle - reaching out in both directions from the gate to the
walled garden. The women take up
positions in pairs in the crowd so that they are effectively standing behind
each other - there is a set of women in pairs reaching from the front of the
crowd through the crowd to the garden where the gardeners are.
As soon as the action begins, Christ
who has been waiting in a car overlooking the Imperial Gardens saunters across
the gardens. He joins the group of
Gardeners, one of whom takes off his jacket and gives it to Christ. Christ puts on the jacket and stands at the
rear of the crowd.
Characters from the Passion Play now
reprise the story of Good Friday using
The Baker by Nick Page.. The characters
are standing in the semi circle. The
blocks are at the ‘centre’ of what would be the circle - as each character says
his or her lines they stand on one of the centre blocks.
Narrator Friday
seems a long while ago. It seems a long
time since we gathered in Sandford Park and shared those Hot Cross Buns. Churches Together. Friends Together. It’s good to be together again. Since then we have made a journey - a journey
that’s 2000 years old already ... it’s a journey that’s still going on. A journey for today.[1]
John He
entered the city on Sunday,
and
all the people gathered to see.
For
they heard that He baked the best bread in the world
and
He gave it to people for free.[2]
Woman of Samaria He didn’t
look much like a baker,
there
was something unreal in his eyes,
and
the people who wanted to see him
went
quiet as he passed them by.
Annas “He
comes from a northerly village,” they said,
“and
I’ve heard tell,
that
his father was not his real father
and
his mother was not a good girl.”
Zebedee’s wife On
Monday he went to the temple
to
offer his bread to the scribes.
He
said, “Take eat,
for
mine is the bread that saves lives.”
Caiaphas The
scribes said, “No thank you,
we’re
sure there are others more hungry,
the
lepers, the sick and the poor.”
Judas So
on Tuesday the baker went walking,
and
gave out his bread to the poor.
He
offered his bread to the taxman,
he
offered his bread to the whore.
Woman of Samaria “My bread
is baked by my father,
and
those who taste it will see,
that
the bread baked in this world is stale,
only
my bread can set someone free.”
Caiaphas On
Wednesday the rest of the bakers
watched
the people flock to him in droves.
Their
leader said, “We must do something,
no
one is buying our loaves.”
Judas “I
think I know someone who’s willing
to
hand this man over to me,
I’ll
see if he’s open to offers,
thirty
pieces I think is his fee.”
Centurion They
arrested the baker on Thursday
and
charged him with all that they could.
They
turned all the people against him
and
claimed that his bread was no good.
Pilate They
took him before the chief of police
who
couldn’t quite understand,
the
need for this sudden trial
of
this curious baker man.
Herod For
the scribes and breadmen were united.
On
two things they both could agree.
That
people could not live forever
and
you shouldn’t give bread out for free.
Pilate The
policeman looked up at the baker
and
said, “I’m just doing my job.”
Then
he washed his hands in a basin
and
handed him out to the mob.
Centurion The
baker was taken and beaten,
and
for his clothing the soldiers drew lots.
Then
at 9 o’clock in the morning
they
nailed him upon a cross.
Joseph of Arimathea His
friends took him down six hours later.
He
had died and the light had grown dim.
They
folded his body like paper
and
wiped all the blood from his skin.
Narrator They
borrowed a tomb for his burial
and
they thought the story complete.
On
Saturday nobody smiled much
and
nobody wanted to eat.
On
Sunday morning some women went to attend to the dead.
But
when they arrived at the tomb
all
they found
was
the smell of new baked bread.[3]
The action for this scene is very
much more ‘stylised’ than the action on Good Friday. Mary starts on the point the Narrator has
been standing on. As their names are
mentioned Peter and John take their positions with Mary on the staging blocks -
one on each side of Mary. The remaining
members of the cast remain in the big semi-circle.
Mary Magdalene It was
early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark when I came to the
tomb. I saw that the stone was moved
away from the entrance. I ran at once to
Peter and to John. I was out of breath
by the time I reached them: “They’ve
taken the Master from the tomb,” was all I could say to begin with. “I don’t know where they’ve put him.” Peter and John left immediately for the tomb.[4]
Peter We
ran, neck and neck. John got to the tomb
first.
John I
stooped to look in, and saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but I didn’t
go in ... I couldn’t.
Peter I
arrived then, entered the tomb, saw the linen cloths lying there. Just lying there. The one they had used to cover his head was
not lying with the other cloths. It was
just on its own. Neatly folded ... all
by itself.
John I
plucked up courage at that point and went in too. I took one look at the evidence and at that
moment I believed.
Peter We
had no idea, not even from our reading
of the Bible that he was going to rise from the dead. We just went back home.
Mary I
stayed. I was weeping. I knelt to look into the tomb and through my
tears I saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the
other at the foot of where Jesus’ body had been laid. They asked me why I was weeping. “They’ve taken my Master,” was all I could
say. “They’ve taken my Master and I
don’t know where they have put him.” I
turned away from the tomb and there in front of me I could see someone.
Mary moves to one of the side blocks.
The 24 disciples and women who have been standing in pairs behind each other in
the centre of the crowd now create a gap now create a gap which goes right
through the crowd. They do this simply
by turning to look at each other. This
creates a pathway from the garden to the acting area. Jesus has been standing with the team of
gardeners. He walks slowly through the middle of the
crowd. He is wearing a bright yellow
jacket as if he has been one of the team of gardeners.. He walks through the crowd and then stands at
the front of the crowd, back to them directly facing Mary But Mary is still telling her story to the
crowd - she only looks sideways at Jesus - she tells the story vividly to the
crowd ... until the moment he steps up on to one of the blocks and calls her by
name. It is at that point that she faces him and sees him and knows him.
Jesus Woman,
why do you weep? Who are you looking
for?
Mary I
thought he was the gardener so I asked him, “If you took him away, tell me
where you put him so I can care for him.”
And that was when he said it. I
had heard him say it so many times before, but this time ... I’ll never forget
it. He called me by name.
Jesus Mary
Mary Rabboni! Teacher
Jesus Don’t
touch me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, “I ascend to
my Father and your Father, my God and your God.”
Mary` And
so I went. I had such news to share with
the disciples. “I have seen the Master.” I told them everything he’d said to me ...
and they didn’t believe a word of it!
The cast who have been standing in a
semi-circle come forward - all but Thomas who is just standing in the
crowd. They now make a circle in front of the tomb. They completely encircle Christ who squats
down on the centre block which is now at the centre of the circle. The cast
mime locked doors by putting hands on each others shoulder ... they face
inwards in their circle. It is a tight, shoulder-to-shoulder
circle. Jesus is completely hidden as
he squats at the centre of the circle.
James stands on a block to the front of the acting area and outside the
circle.
James It
was later that same day, we had gathered together, but we were afraid of the
authorities. We made sure all the doors
in the house were locked. That was when
he came. He entered and stood among us
...
The cast break their circle in the
middle at the front ... and then they sweep back, creating their semi-circle
once more. Jesus stands on the centre
block. They still have their hands
around each other’s shoulders. Standing
in the middle Jesus then speaks ...
Peter and John then get up on to staging blocks on each side of Jesus.
Jesus Peace
be with you.
John He
showed us his hands and his side.
Peter We
could see him with our own eyes - we couldn’t contain ourselves. He said it again ...
Jesus Peace
be with you. Just as the Father sent me,
so I send you.
James Then
he took a deep breath - it felt as if he was breathing into us.
Jesus Receive
the Holy Spirit. If you forgive
someone’s sins, those sins are gone for good.
If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?
The cast gather together into a
circle once more, leaving John outside the circle. Jesus squats down in the middle of the tight
circle in the same was before. Thomas
emerges from the crowd.
John But
someone was missing. Thomas wasn’t there
when Jesus came. We told him that we
had seen the Master, but he wouldn’t believe it.
Thomas I
had to see the nail holes in his hands; I had to put my finger in those wounds,
and my hand in his side. I couldn’t
believe it.
the disciples and the women take up
the starting position they were in a moment before ... a closed circle, Jesus
standing to one side.. This time John is
the one who takes up the story.
John It
was eight days later ... we were again in the room. This time Thomas was with us. Jesus came through the locked doors.
Again the cast break open the circle
and sweep back into a semicircle. Jesus
stands up on the block in the centre of the circle ... Thomas now joins him in
the middle of the circle. ... after his first words he then focuses his
attention on Thomas -
Jesus Peace
be with you.
Take
your finger and feel my hands. Take your
hand and put it in my side. Don’t be
unbelieving. Believe.
Thomas My
Lord and my God!
Jesus So,
you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those
who believe without seeing.
The cast then remain in their
semi-circle - no longer hands on shoulders - as the scene began. Christ stands just in the semi-circle. At this point everyone steps out of character
as it were - we have been actors telling a story. The Narrator stands on the same spot as at
the beginning. The centre block.
Narrator Jesus
provided far more God-revealing signs than we have told in our play. We’ve told our story so you will believe that
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real
and eternal life.[5]
Let’s
pray
Praise
the risen Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
Praise
the risen Lord and Saviour all the peoples of the world
For
great is God’s love towards us all
Making
us friends together.
Father
God, make us one heart and mind
and
through us give the world evidence of your wonderful love.
Risen
Lord Jesus Christ
empower
us by your Holy Spirit
so
to believe in you
that
we may follow you
and
share your love with all around us
Amen.[6]
Narrator And
so let’s shout and sing[7]
our Easter faith
James Jesus
Christ is risen
All He is risen indeed!
Peter Jesus
Christ is risen
All He is risen indeed!
John Jesus
Christ is risen
All He is risen indeed
An
Easter Hymn - Jesus Christ is risen today
Narrator As
Churches Together it is good to be friends together - for we are one in the
presence of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
Although we have not seen him we believe in him. Although we do not see him now we love
him. And we rejoice with a glorious and
indescribable joy for we are receiving the outcome of our faith. And so as Churches Together and as friends
together let’s greet each other with a sign of the peace.
Everyone shares the peace with each
other.
Narrator Let’s
join in saying together the prayer he taught us to pray ...
Our
Father ...
Narrator Let’s
greet each other with a sign of the peace.
Narrator Our
story is over ... but the journey goes on..[8]
It began with beautiful Hot Cross Buns.
On that very first Easter Sunday morning Jesus appeared to the disciples
again ... and had breakfast with them[9]
... we have freshly baked bread waiting for us all and breakfast at St Andrew’s
[10]
The baker has been hard at work again ...
Christ He
had burst from the tomb and had risen
and
his smile was like showers of rain.
He
said to his friends, “Go tell all the world
the
baker is baking again.
“I
will be with you forever,
for
I have returned from the dead.
I
have enough to feed all of the world.
I
am the new baked bread.”[11]
[1] This is very similar wording to the narrator’s part at the very
beginning of the Passion Play, in Act 2 in the High Street and at the very end
of Act 4. It establishes continuity from
Good Friday to Easter Sunday.
[2] We retell the story of Holy Week using Nick Page’s poem, The
Baker. This means that any who had been
unable to be there on Good Friday will be introduced to the cast and be
reminded of the story. The ‘fresh baked
bread’ theme of the poem takes up the running theme of Good Friday and its hot
cross buns.
[3] The poem breaks off at this point - there is one final stanza still
in store for later on.
[4] This scene is based very closely on John 20. It is adapted into a dramatic dialogue giving
the various narrative parts to different characters.
[5] This is taken from the very end of John 20. The purpose of our play is nothing less than
the stated purpose of John’s Gospel - that people may come to faith.
[6] This prayer is begins in the
same way as the prayer used at the Feeding of the 5000 and at the Last Supper
... it goes on to be the prayer that people may indeed share the faith which is
at the heart of the Message of the play.
[7] This is a reference back to the words of Jesus at the Gateway into
Jerusalem at the very end of Act 1.
[8] At this point on Easter Sunday 2000 there was an invitation to go
to join in Pentecost 2000 in 50 days time.
[9] John 21
[10] Andrew had found the little boy with the hot cross buns at the
beginning of Act 1! Fresh baked rolls
make a wonderful way to finish on Easter Sunday.
[11] The last word goes to Christ who completes the Baker poem.