Marvellous, moving and meaningful – these were just three of the positive reactions from the audience at Trinity Methodist Church and Community Hub’s Easter play.
Performed by the church’s drama group, the title of the play was “Have you reached your verdict?” and was a modern reconstruction of the trial of Jesus on the first Good Friday under the High Priest Caiphas.
A series of ten witnesses appeared and were examined by the prosecutor, played by Andrew Piercy, before the Judge, played by Judith Carlton. One of these, a Greek businessman, was played by Roy Porter. This witness had established a fish pie shop and restaurant in Capernaum and suffered a big financial loss when hundreds of diners, who had booked, failed to arrive at his restaurant because they had been fed by Jesus through his miracle of feeding the five thousand! The directors introduced additional witnesses to the script to give local interest to the play. As with many of the witnesses, the prosecutor had to employ devious means to find Jesus guilty of blasphemy.
The other witnesses were played by Peter Hunt, Kathryn Humphreys, Richard Thornton, Steuart Kellington, Pat Bowker, Kate Walmsley, Hazel Hailwood and William Burns. Richard Sagar and Anita Kellington controlled the sound and lighting, Christine Beggs produced artwork for the set and the directors were Helen Coles and Steuart Kellington.
Revd Ian Humphreys, Superintendent of the Clitheroe Methodist Circuit said: “A really brilliant, thought-provoking, accessible delve into the trial of Jesus and the Gospel accounts of some of those he encountered. To have the scripture and then meet the real-life people mentioned, gave a depth and humanity to it all. In a mad world the humour was very much appreciated and all in all there was a brilliant feel of binding our fabulous community together for Holy Week.”
The next production by the Trinity Drama Group will be another of their popular Murder Mysteries on 13th to 16th November 2025.
QUESTIONED: A Greek Businessman (played by Roy Porter, retired proprietor of Porters Butchers in Chatburn) is examined by a judge and prosecutor.