The Iona Passion Play has been one of the largest and longest ongoing productions of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ performed in Australia. Beginning in 1958, Fr Thomas Shortall OMI founded the Iona Passion Play in the typical style of the European productions notable in places like Oberammergau, in Bavaria. The live production, performed on Good Friday, is an amazing visual representation of the final days of Jesus Christ. The Iona Passion Play allows the Gospel stories to come alive and for people to be moved by seeing the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, right before their eyes.
The original 1958 production was organised by the students of Iona College, along with their parents, siblings and other members of the local Lindum community. First performed on the evening of Good Friday in the college grounds of Iona College, a crowd of 500 was expected, but the final numbers reached around 4,000 people.
Two years later, in 1960, the cast took the performance outside of Brisbane for the first time, performing in Toowoomba. In 1961, the Passion Play performed around Australia on an interstate tour, being some of the first passengers on the first commercial flight from Alice Springs to Perth. The play has continued successfully for 65 years, with notable performance all around Australia. In 1973, as part of her Australian visit, Mother Teresa of Calcutta witnessed the performance.
The Iona Passion Play continues to be a big part of how our Iona College community lives out the De Mazenod charism and their Christian faith by bringing alive the passion of Our Lord Jesus to the people of Brisbane and beyond. The 2023 production will performed over Good Friday and Easter Saturday in the Iona Performing Arts Centre, Lindum. Head to the website to purchase tickets and for more information: https://www.passionplay.org.au/
