Introducing: A Passion For Kendal

A PASSION FOR KENDAL

Kendal Community Theatre

April 6th & 7th 2012

Kendal is to have its own Passion Play next year. This will be like the medieval mystery plays still being performed after hundreds of years, and will take place over two days at Easter at several sites in the town centre on Friday, when the last day of Jesus’s life will be enacted during the afternoon and at Castle Hill on Saturday with choirs and fire sculptures to accompany scenes of the Resurrection.

Good Friday afternoon:

· The Passion Play starts at the Library, with the plot to betray Jesus.

· The audience moves to the Market Place for the Betrayal and Arrest.

· The action moves through the Shambles, accompanied by street musicians and performers to the Birdcage – now a prison.

· From here Barabbas a murderer and others prisoners are taken, with Jesus to the Town Hall for the Trial.

· Jesus is condemned to death and the soldiers escort everyone to the Brewery Gardens for the crucifixion.

· Later, in the darkness, the women arrive to take Jesus’ body down from the cross to be buried.

Saturday evening:

Audience, soldiers, choirs, the women assemble at Castle Hill to walk to the Castle where the empty tomb is discovered. This is followed by a fire show and anthem pointing to the resurrection.

A Passion for Kendal will be an original play by Caroline Moir with music specially composed by Roland Fudge and Anne Pater, performed by Amabile, church choirs with Westmorland Youth Orchestra. Kate Reid heads up the design team and Chris Taylor directs.

The play’s director is Chris Taylor and the script is being written by Caroline Moir. Kate Reid, a well-known local designer, is to plan the visual aspects of the play. Fund-raising and other practical matters are already in hand.

Chris stresses his hope that individuals and many groups will take the opportunity to work together on the play. Rehearsals and other activities will be taking place for the rest of this year and more intensively in the first months of next year.

Volunteers are wanted to help with many different aspects of this big undertaking. These include:-

• Actors (male and female; all ages), including many non-speaking or very small roles;
• Musicians; singers (solo, groups, choirs);
• Bloggers and facebook users who will keep up a running commentary on the progress of the
  venture (they would of course need to be involved enough to know what’s happening);
• Dressmakers and costume creators;
• People with fund-raising skills and contacts;
• Banner makers; and prominent locations made available for banners and posters;
• Stewards and audience marshals; some of these might be in costume as Roman soldiers etc.
• Clean-up gang;
• No doubt many other talents would be used; please VOLUNTEER.

Anyone interested should contact Chris Taylor on 01539 727424 or by e-mail Chris Taylor

Provisional rehearsal schedule:

FIRST WORKSHOP: Thursday 13th OCTOBER 7.30pm

2011 October – November. Thursdays from 13th October

Workshops on street theatre techniques and improvisation around the major themes of the play: betrayal; trials; relating to and directing an audience.

2011 November – December

Rehearsals as called. Weekly on an evening to be decided after sign-ups on 28th September. Evening rehearsals will never last more than 2 hours, but will always start promptly.

December 16th 2011 – January 10th/11th 2012: Christmas break.

January – March 2012

Twice weekly rehearsals. We will endeavour to balance time commitments between speaking and non-speaking parts, but March will inevitably be demanding of time. Expect Sunday afternoon rehearsals, which will last three hours.

March 25th – April 6th & 7th 2012

Run-throughs; technical rehearsals; costume rehearsals.

There will be ONE full dress rehearsal in-situ, probably on Wednesday 4th April early evening – app 4.30/5.00pm.

Technical work/workshops.

We hope to have two acting workshops led by actors from The Dukes Williamson Park productions during October.

We plan to have a pyrotechnic workshop all day on Tuesday 3rd or Thursday 5th April to build the fire sculptures for the Resurrection at the Castle. This will be open to up to 15-20 people (preferably over 16) and run by Walk the Plank Theatre.