People, materials and more

The preparations for the Passion Play are progressing nicely and we now have some specific needs which we hope you may be able to assist with to some extent. 

We need some more willing hands - for sewing basic costumes and also for set building. If you are able to help please let us know ASAP.

We are also looking for materials as specified below and attached. The props team have also put together some items that they are trying to source. Please contact us if you can help with any of these items.

If you supply any costume or props items that you would like returned, then please label them (discreetly) and we will do our very best to ensure they are safely returned to you.

Eleanor and the team

CTLA Walk of Witness - Good Friday

Not directly associated with the Play, but Good Friday (3rd April) also features the annual joint churches' Walk of Witness, carrying a cross in silence through the streets of Lewes from Western Road (St Pancras Church/St Anne's Church) to the Priory Mound and ending with a short act of worship.

Do join us at St Pancras Church at 6 p.m. on Good Friday.

Play venues - update

There's an update to information about venues for the Play. We are using the Priory Ruins, not Southover Grange Gardens! Both were options but the Ruins (Cockshut Road entrance) was recently confirmed.

Full Schedule:
SUNDAY 29TH MARCH -- PALM SUNDAY -- Two Processions          

2.00 pm at St Anne’s: opening event       
2.00 pm at Cliffe Precinct: Crowd awaiting the arrival of Jesus.
2.15 pm Procession starts from St Anne's with Donkey
2.30 pm approx Procession arrives at Cliffe Precinct
2.45 pm approx Procession to Harvey’s Yard: Raising Lazarus and other miracles; Clearing the Temple

THURSDAY 2ND APRIL -- MAUNDY THURSDAY    

 8.00-9.15pm   Lewes Priory Ruins: The Last Supper, Betrayal and  Arrest
If very wet.....  Southover Church

FRIDAY APRIL 3RD -- GOOD FRIDAY

1.00 - 1.30 pm Cliffe Precinct  - The Trial and Verdict
1.30 - 2.00 pm Procession to the The Mount
Due to the Railway bridge closure we shall be following Friars Walk, Lansdown Place, Southover Road, Garden Street, Priory Street, Mountfield Road
2.00 - 2.45pm The Mount - The Crucifixion

ALSO: 6.00pm CTLA event starting at St Pancras Church
Silent Walk of Witness to the Mount (also using a diversionary route!)

SUNDAY APRIL 5TH -- EASTER SUNDAY 

3.00 - 4.00pm Lewes Priory Ruins: The Resurrection
If very wet.....  Southover Church

This update is reflected on the main website and calendar. Please check your diaries!

Prayer support: February newsletter

Please give thanks:
- for God’s amazing love expressed for us in the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and the opportunity to tell it together in our town.
- for warmth, fellowship and enjoyment in rehearsal
- for enthusiastic responses to the in-school workshops

Please pray:  
- that all the detailed planning is honouring to our Lord Jesus Christ and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
- that the Passion Play will have a spiritual impact on our town.
- that it will draw Christians together in love and witness.       
- that it will welcome the involvement of members of the wider community.

Specifically:
- for ongoing rehearsals
- for the cast – that they will settle into their parts, be quick in taking direction and script learning
- for still more people to be drawn into an enlarged ‘crowd’ cast
 - for those involved in costume making and sourcing
- for the set builders, stage, lighting and sound technicians
- for creative and physical energy for the directors
- for wisdom as music is woven into the play
- for singers, instrumentalists and children and their families who are now invited to participate.
- for the children in the schools who are taking part in Passion Play music and drama workshops
- that the Christian community across the town will have a growing sense of anticipation and excitement to use this opportunity for ongoing  witness to our living Lord Jesus Christ.
- that a willing donkey will become available to us  for Palm Sunday!

Donkey

Anyone got a Donkey they could lend us for Palm Sunday (29th March) ? Please contact us

Be part of the crowd(s)!

With rehearsals well underway we are now looking to ensure we fill our streets with ‘supporting crowd’ cast members and would love your involvement at as many of the performances as possible. Please look at the list below, see which performances you can join in, and add the rehearsals to your calendar. Go to the Play Calendar to identify these and add them to your own calendar. Then please let us know you're coming, or just come to the first rehearsal for your Act,

We aim to keep crowd rehearsals to a minimum. We have dedicated some specific rehearsals for crowd members - and you are welcome to attend any other additional rehearsals you can. There's an updated outline rehearsal schedule here.

We will measure you up for costume the first time you come, and make sure there is a costume available for you by the Dress Rehearsal.

If you are available for performance & rehearsal dates and would like to take part as a crowd member, please let us know as soon as possible and then just come to the specific rehearsals. Whole families are particularly welcome!

Act 1 - Palm Sunday (March 29th)
What's involved: procession from St Anne's Church (optional); staged performance in Cliffe Precinct and Harvey's Yard
Essential rehearsals:
Sat March 7th, 10.00 am-12.00, St Pancras
Sun March 15th, 2.00-4.30 pm, Christ Church (Acts 1 and 2)
Sat March 28th, 9.30-12.30 am, King's Church (Act 1 Dress Rehearsal)
Sun March 29th, 2.00-4.00 pm: performance, starting at St Anne's Church

Act 2: Maundy Thursday (April 2nd)
What's involved: staged performance in Southover Grange Gardens (if wet: Southover Church)
Essential rehearsals:
Sun March 1st, 1.30-4.30 pm, Southover Chapter House
Mon March 16th, 7.30-9.30 pm, South Malling Church
Fri  March 27th, 7.30-9.30 pm, Kings Church (Technical run-through)
Mon March 30th, 7.30-9.30 pm, South Malling Church (Dress Rehearsal)
Thurs April 2nd, 8.00-9.15 pm, performance

Act 3: Good Friday (April 3rd)
What's involved: staged performance in Cliffe Precinct; procession to Priory Mount
Essential rehearsals:
Thurs March 12th, 7.30- 9.30 pm, St Pancras Church
Wed March 25th, 7.30-9.30 pm, Southover Church Hall
Wed April 1st, 7.30-9.30 pm, Southover Church Hall (Dress Rehearsal)
Fri April 3rd, 1.00-3.00 pm, performance

Act 4: Easter Sunday (April 5th)
What's involved: curtain call and "watching crowd" only, for staged performance in Southover Grange Gardens (if very wet: Southover Church)
There is no new crowd drama for Easter Sunday: crowd players from all other Acts are invited to form the crowd for this final Act but no new players please!
Essential rehearsal:
Sat April 4th, 10.00 am-1.00 pm, St Pancras Church (Dress Rehearsal)

Thankyou! We look forward to seeing you

Eleanor and the Directors.

Welcome to the Blog and our new look!

2015 means that we have started serious work for the Play. Rehearsals are now under way, and all the other preparations for the processions, the staging, the music, prayer support, the backroom work, and much more.

So there will be much more going on! That's why the centre of the website is now the Lewes Passion Play blog. You can still see all about the Play in 2010, and other events in the last five years, but we've put those off to one side.

If you're looking at this post on the new website, you can follow the link to the Blog itself and you will be able to leave comments (these are moderated, so they may not appear immediately) and view older posts more easily. If you've come to the Blog directly, follow the links at the right hand side to go to the main Play website for all the other information.

There is a new Calendar (follow the link at the side). This is a Google calendar so you can link it to your own calendar, or easily download Calendar entries for individual events. It's in two parts: one for rehearsals; and one for social and fundraising events and for the performances.You can find us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

PS - you can also see the photo gallery from the 2014 Mystery Plays, at last!!

Welcome! We look forward to Holy Week 2015.