Jesus knees on the floor in a white robe under a spotlight and words above him read 'Poole Passion' with a black cross.

Next Performance: 9th to 23rd March 2024 at St Peter’s Church, Church Rd, Poole. Ticket information.

The Poole Passion is performed in the beautiful seaside town of Poole in Dorset, on the south coast.

The highly acclaimed Passion Play is performed in the spectacular St Peter’s Church. With atmospheric lighting, emotive music performed live and a cast of many talented, experienced actors.

Founded in 2009 by Sharon Muiruri Coyne, The Poole Passion was the first UK Passion Play to join Europassion.  It was featured on the BBC’s ‘Songs of Praise’ in 2016.

In 2018 Sharon handed the Passion over to director, writer and actress Ann Balaam. She who wrote a fantastic new Poole Passion Play called ‘Footsteps’.  Our first performance of this story was in 2022 and received overwhelming praise from the hundreds who came to see it. Audience members’ comments included: “Phenomenal”, “Mesmerising”, and “I never cry at plays, but this made me cry”.
The story of ‘Footsteps’ is centred around a group of tourists in modern day Jerusalem. They visit the sacred sites and are transported back in time and see the last days of Jesus’ life.  In doing so, they gain inspiration from his wisdom, and ultimately witness his crucifixion and resurrection.  
The play, exquisitely woven together by Ann Balaam, also allowed for the people of these two parallel timelines to occasionally interact with each other.
Below is a video compilation of photos from the 2022 production, including brief film footage of the final scene (filmed by an audience member).
Accompanied by the music composed and performed by Richard McLester.The video includes comments received from the audience on our feedback forms after the performances.
Please see our new website and read all about our history: www.PoolePassionPlay.com

Poole Passion

  • Members of a passion play cast including Jesus and the disciples in a church.
  • An actor dressed in black reads from a yellow book, with a group in the background in an ornate church.
  • A group of actors dressed in yellow in a scene from passion play set in a church.
  • A group of actors in a scene from a passion play set in a church.
  • Jesus in white in a scene from a passion play set in a church.
  • An actor playing Jesus watches over children lit by stage lights.
  • Jesus kneels to greet a child in her mother's knee in middle eastern dress.
  • Jesus hugs an actor in a scene in a passion play set in a church, with disciples either side.
  • Jesus dressed in white with disciples in the background in a passion play set in a church.
  • A previously lame lady celebrates, running towards the camera. Jesus, dressed in white, walks behind her, as part of the Easter story.
  • A group of actors on stage in a passion play set in a church.
  • A female actor in middle eastern dress in the foreground with a man wearing yellow in the background.
  • Jesus speaks with other actors dressed in middle eastern costumes.
  • An actor walks up the aisle of a church with audience and other actors in the background.
  • A priest dressed in yellow robes sits on a throne with carved stone behind in a scene from a passion play staged in a church.
  • A disciple in the foreground with a young actor in a yellow t-shirt behind, with a purple background.
  • A disciple in the foreground with Jewish priests behind in a scene from a passion play.
  • Jesus as a white figure in the darkness surrounded by jewish priests.
  • The interior of a church with Jesus in the middle dressed in white and illuminated.
  • A Jewish priest walks away from Jesus in a scene from a passion play.
  • Jesus dressed in white is hugged by a disciple - Judas in a scene from a passion play.
  • Pilate in a white robe and red sash raises one hand and talks to Jesus who stands behind him in a long white robe with his hands bound behind him.
  • Two actors playing a Roman official and Jesus. with the disciples in the background
  • Jesus on the cross on stage lit in red with actors playing guards and disciples below.
  • Jesus on the cross in near darkness illuminated by red lights.
  • Jesus nailed to the cross with two crosses either side lit in red.
  • Jesus taken down from the cross, held by Mary with a disciple standing behind.
  • Jesus in white looking up to heaven with arms held upwards.
  • The darkened interior of a church lit with purple and white light.
  • An actor playing Jesus wearing white and on stage with a purple background lit from behind in the resurrection scene.
  • Two female actors in middle eastern dress with Jesus behind them with a purple background - in the resurrection scene from a passion play.
  • An actor playing Jesus wearing white against a purple background in a scene from a passion play.
  • An actor on stage surrounded by purple light, in the resurrection scene from a passion play.
  • Jesus with arms held out with a lit purple backdrop with an angel behind in the resurrection scene from a passion play.
  • Jesus in a darkened church with a purple background lit from behind.
  • Jesus in white illuminated by a stage light in darkness.