NATIONAL THEATRE WALES AND WILDWORKS

with MICHAEL SHEEN

"Love, Betrayal, Sacrifice, Passion."

In a spectacular finale to its triumphant launch year, NATIONAL THEATRE WALES joined forces with WILDWORKS, which bought Michael Sheen home to star in a one-off ground-breaking theatre event which placed the Port Talbot community at its very heart.

For three days over easter 2011, Port Talbot was in a battle for its life. Authoritarian forces took over the town in a plan to change it forever. The atmosphere was explosive.

Taking inspiration from one of the defining narratives of our time, this riotous re-telling of the Passion story, scripted by Owen Sheers, took place across town, with the people of Port Talbot as its cast crew and heroes.

'It's not matter that matters,

or our thoughts and words,

but the shadows they throw

against the lives of others.'

Owen Sheers

For six months prior to the Passion, WildWorks had been working in the streets, malls and social clubs of Port Talbot, finding stories, memories and images of the place. We found powerful locations where the story of the Passion could unfold. We walked the beach against the backdrop of the massive, smoke belching steelworks, sang songs in underpasses, searched for the ghosts of the people displaced from their homes by the building of the motorway. We found many instances of the passions of Port Talbot people. Over 1200 community members took part as writers, musicians, singers, performers, makers, stewards, messengers, angels and demons. Passion was a three-day non-stop celebration that started on the afternoon of Good Friday and concluded on Sunday evening. (April 22nd to 24th 2011