Duddingston Kirk

The Duddingston Kirk Passion Play performed by a spectacular loch in 2018

The Duddingston Kirk Passion Play is performed by a mix of professional actors, together with adults and children from local church and community groups. This promenade production took place on Easter Sunday, 1st April at 2pm at Duddingston Kirk, Edinburgh.  The audience followed the actors from the initial ‘Last Supper’ opening scene to the arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. On to meet Pontius Pilate then, as Jesus took up his Cross. And leaving the Church grounds, into the streets of Duddingston Village.  The cast enacted several scenes in the streets of the village before the audience returned. There they were met by the moving sight of the crucifixion. In another area of the garden the audience met the angel and women at the tomb before a spectacular loch-side resurrection scene.   

This promenade play was performed by twenty-four professional actors and musicians. They joined together with adults and children from local churches and community groups.  The minister of Duddingston Kirk, the local Roman Catholic priest and the rector of the local Scottish Episcopal Church acted as narrators for the passion play performance.

Although the day of the performance was dry, the previous day and the following day saw snow in Edinburgh. An elderly lady struggled round the whole route with her walking aid. She phoned the minister later that evening to declare it was the best Easter she had ever had.  The director had written in the programme, “If only one person is moved by this piece of theatre at Easter then the whole experience will have been worthwhile.”  By this measure, it was certainly worthwhile!