Rejoice with Voice

A Community Passion Play
Good Friday 2026

PASSION FOR GORTON

An exhilarating experience for everyone taking part and an unforgettable evening for every member of the audience.

Our community Easter Passion Play was performed by over a hundred volunteers on Good Friday 2026 at the magnificent Manchester Monastery. This free event brought the people of Gorton and surrounding areas of Manchester together through a powerful shared experience of faith, performance, creativity, personal development and extraordinary teamwork.

We were especially pleased to have been able to perform our first community passion play during Manchester Monastery's 30th Anniversary Year. We were also very happy to welcome a full and enthusiastic audience to this momentous event.

Making Passion For Gorton happen...

WRITTEN by Mike Morrissey
DIRECTORS Helen Parry and Mike Peacock
PRODUCERS Stephen Graham and Karen Hannah

When rehearsals began at the beginning of the year many of the cast hadn't met each other before, nor had many of them stepped foot on a stage. Everyone involved worked very hard together to shape the production by learning their lines, making props and costumes, composing music, attending rehearsals and sharing the publicity around their friends and family.

All the performers, musicians, volunteers and audience came together to make something uplifting and inspiring. We are very proud of everyone who took part, and grateful to everyone who helped make it happen.

We want to thank everyone for helping to turn the one-off performance into a true celebration of community and creativity. Rejoice With Voice! has more projects in the pipeline, so please keep checking back here - and follow us on Facebook and Instagram if you haven't already.

Special thanks to:

Father Kevin Murphy
Pastor Wayne Clarke
Reverend Kathreen Shahbaz

The children and young adult members of the cast from nearby primary and secondary schools.
Gorton Voice Community Choir
Angie Arnold
Angelic Voices
Sacred Heart Parish Choir

Charley Headey (production stage manager)
Angela Weekes (production co-ordinator)
Robyn Skeete (production co-ordinator)
Amenawon Okoh (costume)
Lela Wells (costume)
Alex Grace-Brown (ASM)
Clair Connor (ASM)
Amy Tinniswood (sound)
Paul Swansborough (lighting)
Conner Collins-Cooper (stage crew)
Thomas Shultz (stage crew)
Lyn Kirwan (BSL signer)
Andy Higgins (BSL signer)

Everyone at Manchester Monastery

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Thank you

Hannah Spencer MP has praised Passion for Gorton

To everyone who made Passion for Gorton happen. Thank you so much for inviting me, and for the enormous amount of time and effort you put in to producing such a brilliant performance. Please let me know of anything you do in the future!

Take care,