Passion of Jesus in Trafalgar Square

Jesus, played by Peter Bergin in Trafalgar Square

Around 20,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square on Good Friday for two epic performances of the Passion of Jesus, performed by the Wintershall Theatre, with a cast of more 100 actors in stunning period costumes, with horses, donkeys and doves. (Experienced handlers accompanied all the animals to ensure their safety)

The performance was complemented by a moving musical score, bringing an added layer of emotional depth to the presentation.

All the actors were miked up - and the acoustics throughout the Square were excellent.

The performance was also projected onto a huge screen - enabling everyone in the huge audience to see the play.

After a blessing from Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, the scene was set with a powerful four minute rap tour through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation - and a song from Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir. The play then began with a reenactment of Palm Sunday, with the actor portraying Jesus riding into the centre of the square on a donkey, together with crowds waving palms.

Key scenes from Jesus' ministry were reenacted - some of his miraculous cures, and teachings, leading up to his clashes with money changers in the Temple, the Last Supper, his betrayal, arrest, trial by Pontius Pilate, crucifixion and and resurrection.

Jesus was played by Peter Bergin, an English teacher at St John the Baptist School in Woking, who is also a trained actor. Initially he worked with Wintershall as understudy for the part of Jesus, in 2019, which was played by James Burke-Dunsmore. The role takes him from being a gentle preacher to some harrowing scenes of His arrest, flogging and brutal death on the cross.

Peter said: "When you're in church and listening to the Passion being read, it's easy to sit there and picture Jesus as Da Vinci's Jesus, with a serene impassiveness, whereas when you're rehearsing it, you have to delve into the emotions going through His head.

"I think it would be easy to play Jesus as above all the human emotion, but I think that's the most important thing about Jesus: God was made man and it culminates in that Gethsemane sequence, where Jesus is begging for his life."

The re-enactment of Jesus' crucifixion, with the large crosses of Jesus and the thieves in the square was a shocking sight - as the audience, particularly parents with children was warned it would be.

Peter said: "There's a line in the script where the Centurion says: 'I've never seen someone die like that, with such peace'… so "On the one hand, I try to give as peaceful a portrayal of the crucifixion as I can, while at the same time screaming in agony as it's a horrific, barbaric execution method."

But the play did not end there. Director De Klee, whose father Peter Hutley wrote the play following a deep conversion aged 68, told one interviewer: "If we left it at the cross, where's the hope in the Christian faith? This is a story of hope. This is good news; it's not the end, it's the beginning."

First staged in Trafalgar Square in 2010, the play missed a couple of years during the Covid lockdown but is now back again as a significant feature of London's cultural and spiritual life.

The Muslim Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: "I am proud that Wintershall is back... the Passion of Jesus has become a key part of how our capital marks Easter, bringing people of different backgrounds together to remember the Easter story, and its important messages of kindness, love and hope."

Wintershall is a Christian theatre company, based near Guildford, dedicated to presenting the life and teachings of Jesus Christ through high-quality, professional productions, founded in 1989. The cast is composed of a diverse team of volunteers, from a range of Christian and faith backgrounds, as well as with varying acting experience.

Another of the professional actors, was Stefanie Pena who played Mary Magdalen. She's also a writer and radio presenter. There will be a chance to hear her on Sunday, 4 May when she will be in Radio Maria England's Easter Play.

Commenting on the play, actor Jane Spencer Pryor told ICN: "This was a magnificent event in the centre of London on Good Friday. The performance were superb - especially the portrayals of Jesus, performed with sincerity and humility, and Pontius Pilate - the perfect diplomat. But I feel the power of the all the performances was enhanced by people's faith. The spontaneous applause at the end said it all."

For more information about Wintershall's work, including their upcoming shows in 2025: The Life of Christ (17-21 June 2025) and The Nativity Journey (16-21 December 2025), visit: www.wintershall.org.uk or follow them on social media for updates.

Watch both performances on Wintershall's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Wintershallplay/?locale=en_GB