The Passion : Port Talbot

The Passion : Port Talbot
****
The Passion, the largest, longest and last of National Theatre Wales’s location-driven first year productions, was a 72 hour performance in the streets of Port Talbot. Created in conjunction with Wildworks, and both starring, and co-directed by Port Talbot’s prodigal son, Michael Sheen, the production resurrects the traditional Easter Passion play and places the town and its residents at the very heart of the story.

From the moment I walked into Aberafan shopping centre at Saturday lunchtime, it was apparent that the production, starring 15 professional actors and over a thousand local people, had spectacularly transformed the town. People talked about the previous day’s action and deliberated if Sheen really had slept on the hill overlooking the town the previous evening. Parents chatted about their child’s part in the production and waited impatiently for the next episode. Without a doubt there was a real buzz and a tangible sense of excitement amongst the people of Port Talbot.

The press release and publicity championed Michael Sheen’s involvement – but this was their production. From the local brass band, male voice choirs, school children, dance groups and gymnastic troops, local bands and singers, this was a showcase and a celebration of the town’s talent. More than that, it was an opportunity to tell their story, share their memories of the town, their hopes for its future, and breathe new life into the community.

This was truly immersive theatre. The “Resistance” scene at the shopping centre succeeded in creating the stifling, oppressive environment of a police state. Armed soldiers in black patrolled the precinct, whilst uniformed police supervised and scrutinised the shoppers. The sensational shouting protestors snaking through the crowd encouraged us to join in their chants – people were cheering, clapping their hands and stamping their feet. As a wonderful community choir appeared from amongst the crowd audience members pointed out friends, neighbours and work colleagues within its ranks.

The highlight of the scene was the brief, but striking, appearance of Michael Sheen as The Teacher, a Christ-like figure, dressed in a grey hoodie and striped jogging bottoms. This might have been a far cry from the conventional portrayal of Christ preaching the gospel and spreading God’s word, but his fleeting appearance had an extraordinary effect on the crowd. Heads craned to catch a glimpse, fingers pointed, mothers whispered to their children about their family connection to Sheen.

This celebration of the lives of ordinary people, and the ability of an ordinary town to answer its critics and surpass expectations was apparent throughout the exceptional production, and nowhere more so than during the “Return”. This was a haunting scene in Llewellyn Street, a community torn apart during the building of the M4 motorway, which continues to cast a long shadow over the area.

A lone local man, Alfie (Darren Lawrence), shares his melancholy memories of this once bustling and busy community- the children playing in the street, the beautiful lonely wife singing whilst waiting for her husband to return from the sea and the boy who played the same song over and over again on his record player. This changed an ordinary street into the scene of an extraordinary emotive performance as a man tried his utmost to hold on to his past by sharing his most personal memories. Larwence’s performance as the erratic, eccentric Alfie was touching, and brought a painful poignancy to the production.

Alfie’s story, tucked away in a tiny side street was compelling and moving. The shadows of the past were beautifully portrayed by the appearance of the white spectral figures of the long-dead residents of Llewellyn Street. The presence of these ghosts was overwhelming as they sang a stirring ode to their former home. The song echoed from the concrete pillars of the motorway above, as the crowd stood still, silent and solemn.

The production was a triumph, marrying Hollywood and Port Talbot to create extraordinary and lasting images. I will remember the sight of John the Baptist eating an ice cream in Aberafan shopping centre whilst sweltering in his furs and animal skins for a very long time.