The Passion of Christ revamped with bigger female presence

The towns of Olesa de Monstserrat and Esparreguera, around half an hour away from Barcelona, may not be well known outside of Catalonia, but every year they hold an event putting them on the map in the country. Both towns are famous for their renditions of the Passion of Jesus Christ, the final period in the life of the so-called son of God before his crucifixion.

On Sunday the curtain went off kicking off the season of plays and events related to be biblical tale, and this year there are some changes in store. In Olesa, a bigger female presence is just one of the highlights. The director of the show, Ignasi Campmany, stated that this means “not being so rigorous with the text.”

Other changes include illumination, and new technical aspects in order to have a more agile final work, according to Campmany, with less or no interruptions between scenes, keeping a rhythm closer to cinema than theatre.

The big event, however, takes place on Good Friday. The Passion of Olesa, with 500 years’ experience, will include “old scenes and actors.”

The Passion of Esparreguera has been going on for 400 years, starting in the run up to Easter week. This year the local music school will be in charge of the soundtrack. In both towns, the event will run up to May 1.