Messiah in Cinemas for Holy Week

Thursday March 22 2018

^{Picture by Jack Offord}

A special dramatised production of Handel’s Messiah is to be screened in cinemas around the country during Holy Week.

The acclaimed Bristol Old Vic production, staged by Tony Award-winning director Tom Morris, features Europe’s most celebrated Baroque orchestra, The English Concert, the  Erebus Ensemble and a cast of internationally-renowned soloists.

Morris said that the decision to dramatise the action on stage came from a desire to highlight the conflict and struggle in the story. He says: “I think to a lot of people it isn't obvious that the music is dramatic! Drama involves conflict and struggle. Clearly what we've done isn’t the only way to do Messiah, but the decision to ask what the struggle might be in the music - that got more and more exciting as we looked into it."

Morris is not a person of faith but says that ‘the effort to believe something which is beautiful and impossible… (is) one of the most beautiful things about humanity’.

He adds: “You try to do something specific onstage, which in this case is dealing with a text clearly relating to the Old and New Testament story of the Messiah. And the idea is that anyone watching or listening is creating the meaning that they find, from their own imagination and memories and beliefs. I haven't tried to make a show which expresses an opinion about whether those beliefs are right or wrong.

“Some people of faith have found very powerful meaning in this production which connects with their faith. I think it's in the nature of theatre: by being specific you make all of those different responses possible. I'm really interested in overhearing the conversations this sparks.”

The showing is one night only – Wednesday March 28, at most major cinemas in Scotland and throughout the UK. Times and prices vary – see the Cinema Live website for details.

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