Walled City Passion Returns for Fifth Year with Bold New Take on Easter Story

A modern retelling of the Easter story set on the historic City Walls will return to Derry this spring.

This Easter, the Walled City Passion returns for its fifth year with a bold and thought-provoking new perspective: the story of Judas.

Performed by an all-local cast including Andrew Porter, Steven Bradley, James Lecky, Maeve Connolly and Francesca Kelly, the immersive production will run from Thursday 2 to Saturday 4 April, with performances at 12.30pm and 3.30pm each day.

(L-R) Actors Andrew Doherty (as The Guard), Stephen Bradley (as Jesus) and Andrew McCracken (as Internal Security Team) perform in last year’s Walled City Passion. 

The open-air performance will begin at the Diocesan Centre on London Street, before moving through a series of historic locations on the city walls, including St Columb’s Cathedral, St Augustine’s Church, and First Derry Presbyterian Church on Upper Magazine Street.

In the lead-up to the performances, members of the cast have also visited local schools to perform excerpts from the production, inviting students to explore the story and improvise alternative endings.

Producer, writer and director Jonathan Burgess says the aim of the project is to make an ancient story feel immediate and relevant to modern audiences.

“The story is two thousand years old, but the feelings are universal and perpetual,” he said.

“It’s easy to take the Easter story at face value, and because of that we sometimes don’t pay it the attention it deserves. This production is about making ancient stories feel immediate, relevant and urgent.”

Each year the Walled City Passion explores the story from a different perspective. Last year, audiences experienced the events through the eyes of a Roman guard. This year, the production invites audiences to see the story unfold through Judas.

(L-R) Actors Stephen Bradley (as Jesus), Andrew Doherty (as The Guard) and Susie Garvey-Williams (as Internal Security Team) perform in last year’s Walled City Passion.

“Judas has often been reduced to a symbol of betrayal, but he was also a man living under Roman occupation, navigating fear, loyalty and consequence,” Jonathan said.

“We are exploring themes of coercion, manipulation, political tension and forgiveness. In a world shaped by power structures, public opinion and fear, Judas’s actions resonate in new and challenging ways.”

He added that the production aims to connect audiences with the story on a deeper level.

“It’s not all swords and sandals. I hope audiences leave feeling engaged and thoughtful, seeing parallels between the Easter story and their own lived experiences.”

The organisers have also thanked supporters of the production, particularly the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The Walled City Passion runs from Thursday 2 to Saturday 4 April, with performances at 12.30pm and 3.30pm each day. Tickets are available from millenniumforum.co.uk.

There is also an opportunity for members of the public to get involved as volunteers by contacting the production team via facebook.com/walledcitypassion.