Radius Lent and Easter - He is not here: the working title for a promenade drama for Easter and Passiontide

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Aldword

Autumn 2008 issue of Radius Performing, the magazine of the Religious Drama Society of Great Britain, focusing on arts and theology through Lent and Easter. Includes editor notes about commissioning an Easter play by Les Ellison, listings and discussion around Lent and Easter scripts, and an announcement for the Radius AGM in Oxford with constitutional votes. Main features explore “He is not here” as a promenade drama, audience involvement, staging safety, and practical guidance for successful performances.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time37 min

AccessFree to download

Radius Lent and Easter

The arts and theology

Playing Jesus

Come Wind, Come Weather

Revolution & resurrection

Noticeboard

Radius Annual General Meeting 2008

RadiusPROCESSED0CT 212008GTU LIBRARYPerforming The magazine of the Religious Drama Society ofGreat Britain Autumn 2008 The arts and theology:creativity and communicationPlaying JesusRadius Lent and Easter ontents Radius Lent and EasterPage 1 The arts and theologyPage 9 Thirsk Page 14 Playing JesusPage 15 Come Wind,Come WeatherPage 16 Revolution &resurrectionPage 18 NoticeboardPage 19 Radius Annual GeneralMeeting 2008Page 20 Radius PerformingAutumn 2008Volume VI No 144ISSN 01418716 Editor,Margaret HuntDesign,Barry Dunnage From the Editor With Christmas a couple of monthsaway it may seem rather early to bethinking of Easter,but our experiencesuggests that directors want to lookat Easter scripts as soon as the fairylights are back in the box.We aredelighted to announce that Les Ellison isfollowing up his Christmas commissionby creating a new Easter play for us.He writes about it in this issue and itwill be available in December.OtherLent and Easter scripts are listed onpages7&8 and three Radius membersdiscuss alternatives to a traditionalplayscript.There is also a reminderabout Radius Christmas plays. Radius Annual General Meeting ison 29 November at 1.30 in Oxford(details page 20),with our Presidentin the chair.This year we are voting onconstitutional changes enabling us toscale down our committee structure,soit is important that as many membersas possible should be present.See theenclosed letter for details.The meetingwill be followed by an illustrated talkon the society's early history. 1 Following the pattern set last year,theAGM will take place during a weekenddrama workshop.While we hope thatthe workshop will be wellsupported,the AGM is entirely separate and wewould encourage members to attendeven if they are not taking part in theweekend. He is not here: the working title for a promenade drama for Easterand Passiontideby Les Ellison Taking the audience with you;just whatany drama group or theatre companywants to achieve.When it happensthere's nothing more satisfying foraudience or group or company.Withchurch drama the problem is rarely thatthe audience is left behind;more oftenthey're looking to get there ahead ofthe action.This is perhaps especially sowith dramas based in the Easter andPassiontide narratives where even thosewith the most tenuous link to theChristian tradition know how the storyends even before it begins. That they stillcome to hear the story isdemonstration of its essential powerand of our continuing need to bemoved by it.And moving the audienceis what we,as Christ motivateddramatists,are called upon to do.Towards this end,might it be that tomove the audience physically can helpcreate the environment in which they might be moved emotionally?Might theaudience be more involved in thedrama if given a character of its ownand moved with the cast from enactedscene to scene,rather than sittingremote from a drama which merelypasses before them? They might be cast as willing travellersor fearful,defiant prisoners or refugees,honoured guests or despised.They maybe transported to areas of a building,such as a church,with which they arefamiliar but have never seen it used asa theatre.Pews,choir stalls,archways,aisles,pulpits,fonts and gardens alloffer imaginative possibilities asdramatic locations.At one location,anaudience may watch a scene wheresight lines are easy,at the next theymay have to strain to see the action,perhaps as the audience at the originalevent were forced to do.There will beproblems and safety concerns to beaddressed,but a 'promenade' performance set amid the Easter storymay bring a new perspective to thosetoo familiar happenings. He is not here is the working title of a # 2 Radius Lent and Easter new Eastertide promenade dramacommissioned by Radius for Easter2009.The play casts the audience as aband of pilgrims on a journey to hearand see a holy man whose fame as ateacher and miracle worker has spreadbeyond the tiny,insignificant vill

FAQs

What is “He is not here” in this issue?

“He is not here” is the working title for a promenade drama for Easter and Passiontide by Les Ellison, commissioned for Easter 2009.

How does the promenade format aim to involve the audience?

The audience is cast as pilgrims on a journey, moving with the cast from scene to scene rather than watching passively from a distance.

When and where is the Radius Annual General Meeting 2008 held?

It is on 29 November at 1.30 in Oxford, followed by an illustrated talk on the society’s early history.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Aldword