THE PASSION

The WILDWORKS project I have decided to look at is “The Passion”. This is a project where they collaborated with the National Theatre Wales and actor Michel Sheen to do a retelling of the Passion story for three days over Easter in Port Talbot. The Passion story is final part of Jesus’ life where he went to Jerusalem, went on trial and was put to death on the cross. Over Easter this was recreated with Michel Sheen playing Jesus and the cast, crew and importantly the people of Port Talbot all taking part to create this piece of ongoing, ground-breaking theatre.  

The rehearsal and creation process of this project started six months before the performance. In this time WILDWORKS had been working in the “streets, malls and social clubs of Port Talbot”. I think that this is a really effective way of creating landscape, community theatre as it allows the members of the group to get to know the setting as a place in itself; through the buildings and the space. On top of this by them working within the community area they get to know the community, how it functions and works and the people within the community. This shows the huge amount of focus that is on the people and the community of the place WILDWORKS work in as they spend a lot of time “finding stories, memories and images of the place”. This hand on approach to their rehearsal process allows them to get a realistic view of the community rather than having built up an image in their minds. It also allows the people of the community to have a say on the performance and for everyone to have their own input on the piece through their memories and stories. I think that this part of WILDWORKS rehearsal process shows how much their theatre and art is focused on bringing the community together and getting the community engaged in theatre and art and the power of it.

They also spent time finding “powerful locations” where the theatre and the story could take part in. They walked the “beach against the backdrop of the massive, smoke belching steelworks, sang songs in underpasses, searched for the ghosts of the people displaced from their homes by the building of the motorway”. This shows the equal importance of the place that the piece is taking part in as well as the people. I think what makes WILDWORKS different in their performance and their rehearsal process is that they look at the place they are working in as part of the community and use that for stimulus as well as the people’s stories and memories, linking the two together to create an initiative and inclusive piece of theatre. In their rehearsal process they spend time working and exploring the space and place of where they will be performing and getting inspiration from it.

Through out the rehearsal process and the performance over 1200 community members took part as “writers, musicians, singers, performers, makers, stewards, messengers, angels and demons.” To me this highlights how much of their performance and work is created and driven forward by the community not just their own members, showing how truly inclusive and engaging their work is for everyone. It also shows how everyone could be included in a part that was suitable for them so that the community was at the core of every bit of the performance.