Manchester Passion is a television special which was broadcast by BBC Three on 14 April 2006. Created and scripted by Andy King-Dabbs and Stephen Powell as a follow-up to BBC Classical Music’s previous BBC Three special, Flashmob – The Opera, it was a contemporary retelling of the Passion of Jesus set to popular music, broadcast live from various locations in Manchester, culminating with the procession of a large, lighted cross to the main stage at Albert Square. The broadcast was presented and narrated by Keith Allen, and starred Darren Morfitt as Jesus. Denise Johnson played Mary, Tim Booth played Judas, and Nicholas Bailey played Peter. Music was provided by a 16-piece string orchestra and soloists on accordion, cello, and guitar. The BBC Executive Producer was Sue Judd and the music arrangements were by Philip Sheppard. The production was praised by Bishop of Manchester Nigel McCulloch, who felt that Manchester Passion had “a sincerity and an ability to shock and connect that is not far removed from how it must have been on the first Good Friday.”
While originally held as a one-off event, Dutch producer Jacco Doornbos created a localized version of the special known as The Passion, which was first broadcast in the Netherlands in 2011. The Passion has since been broadcast annually in different Dutch cities, and its format has also been exported to other countries, including Belgium and the USA.
