A group of actors on Friday marked Good
Friday by re-enacting the crucifixion of Christ in a passion play in
London's Trafalgar Square.
The square was packed with thousands
of onlookers commemorating the day Jesus is believed to have been
killed by the Romans, two day before miraculously rising from the dead
on Easter Sunday.
Brisk temperatures did not deter the audience from experiencing the time-honoured tradition of the passion play.
Dramatic performances of the last
hours of Jesus' life are a key part of the Easter celebration in many
European countries, and this year worshippers from around the world have
been pictured re-enacting the events of Good Friday.
The tradition has been less strong
in Britain but has seen a resurgence in recent years, with more than a
dozen performances taking place in the UK today.
The play was put on twice in
Trafalgar Square by the Wintershall Players, a group based in Surrey and
founded by enthusiast Peter Hutley.
The role of Jesus was taken by James
Burke-Dunsmore, a 41-year-old actor who has used his striking looks to
carve out a career niche playing Christ.
He has played the part nearly 60 times all around the country - and before each performance, he weaves his own crown of thorns.
Adding to the physical toll of
playing Jesus is the heavy cross he carried around Trafalgar Square
today, made from two real tree trunks.
Past performances have been even
more painful, however - once an amateur actor in Leicester hit him so
hard with a mallet while miming driving the nails in that Mr
Burke-Dunsmore had to go to hospital with fractured ankles.
Although the actor insists he does
not suffer from delusions of grandeur while portraying his illustrious
subject, he has in the past channelled the Christian spirit to get out
of sticky situations.
Mr Blake-Dunsmore once walked past a
group of warring drunks in Edinburgh while wearing his Jesus costume -
and stopped to tell them the parable of the prodigal son.
But instead of turning on him, the men enthusiastically acted out parts in the story and insisted he finish the tale.
Today's play featured the judgement
of Jesus in front of Pontius Pilate, followed by the journey through the
streets of Jerusalem wearing the crown of thorns and carrying the
cross.
The dramatic highlight of the
performance was the crucifixion itself, when Christ and two thieves were
strung up on crosses with nails in their hands and feet.
This is really amazing.
Source: Daily Mail
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