The Manx Passion, a promenade performance being staged at sites around the Island this Easter, is an ambitious community theatrical event on a truly biblical scale.
Its director is Jan Palmer Sayer. ‘Right from the outset I wanted this to be a community production. Very much in the spirit of Island of Culture 2014, which seeks to leave a lasting legacy, I wanted the cast to include people who’d never acted or sung before but who, bolstered by this experience, might choose to go on and perform again.’
Island of Culture 2014 director is Michael Lees. ‘I knew I wanted a professional director for what was to be a hugely ambitious production so I was delighted Jan accepted the Isle of Man Arts Council’s commission to direct the Passion; also for her husband, Derek, to stage manage the production.
‘We’re also fortunate to have Cyd Waters as our musical director, a highly accomplished professional music consultant, musician, choreographer and teacher with extensive experience in community projects, and the talented Tim Price who has written a wonderful score.’
Manx-born Tim Price, 23, lives in Ramsey. ‘The music’s very much been shaped by my understanding and interpretation of key events in the Bible, such as the Crucifixion, Creation and Nativity. But at the same time I’ve been mindful to introduce an element of drama that doesn’t overpower the performance as a whole. The score is mostly orchestral, combined with some subtle electronic elements and choral sections. I’ve written film scores before, but not composed for something like this, a live performance where you have to take into account the physical challenges the actors will be facing. I’ve had to be flexible, too, because the timing varies according to the site where the production’s being staged, so the Manx Passion is proving a huge and exciting project.’
Mrs Palmer Sayer: ‘We’ve had a tremendous response from the Isle of Man community and the cast spans a really wide age group, from a seven-year-old girl to a man in his 80s. Also in the cast is 2013 Young Singer of Mann finalist Michelle Jamieson, who’s 16 and playing Mary. These, and many others, are fantastically talented people.
‘Carrie Hunt of the Broadway Theatre Company has provided us with some incredibly gifted young performers; then we have the Isle of Man Wind Orchestra, a choir from Bunscoill Ghaelgagh, the Lon Dhoo male voice choir and our own Passion choir. This is a 20-strong scratch choir we’ve formed, among them people who have never sung before, so this is real “Gareth Malone” stuff.
‘That’s what’s really exciting about this production; it’s giving so many people who’ve never acted or sung before a voice.
Performed largely outside the Manx Passion will be shaped by the Manx weather. Whatever the weather the performances will go ahead, Mrs Palmer Sayer assured, adding: ‘I’m used to directing performances in the dramatic cliff-side setting of the Minack open-air theatre in Cornwall, so coping with the Isle of Man weather won’t be a problem.
‘We wanted the Manx Passion to be an all-Island production so looked at lots of different sites and settled on a mix of locations. Some, but not all, are based around a church. In Ramsey we’re using Mooragh Park so we’ll be introducing humour into the Noah scenes where we can use the children’s water feature to great effect and will be setting off fireworks from the island in the middle of the lake.
‘Rushen Abbey affords tremendous opportunities to stage a great promenade piece of theatre and I just had to use Peel Castle as one of the locations. It’s a wonderfully dramatic setting where The Passion will take place with the cross raised and set against the skyline.’
As Easter approaches preparation is becoming intense as the cast rehearse on site. Mrs Palmer Sayer said: ‘Casting people who’ve performed before with some who’ve never been on stage in their lives makes for a potent mix. Drama is a powerful medium; challenge people and you see them grow. As a director, that’s very rewarding.’
Manx Passion performances:
Sunday April 13th 2pm: Creation, Nativity and Passion - Rushen Abbey.
Monday April 14th 6.30pm: Creation – Mooragh Park, Ramsey.
Tuesday April 15th 6.30pm: Nativity, Church of St John the Baptist, St John’s.
Wednesday April 16th 6.30pm: Creation, King William’s College.
Thursday April 17th 6.30pm: Nativity, Kirk Maughold.
Good Friday, April 18th 12noon: The Passion, Peel Castle.
Good Friday, April 18th 6pm: The Passion, Church of St Anthony, Onchan.
Tickets, priced ?5 for adults and ?1 for under-18s (under-12s to be accompanied by an adult) are available from the Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal or from the Villa/Gaiety box office, 600555, www.villagaiety.com.
(Peel Castle not suitable for the disabled. No formal seating at Peel Castle or Rushen Abbey; audiences may sit on the grass).
Photo - John Walker as Jesus. Photo John Keelan, chairman of the Isle of Man Southern Photographic Society.
