Buzzcocks, New Order Featured In BBC Passion Play

The BBC has announced that they are filming a musical
"contemporary retelling" of the last hours of Jesus
Christ set in Manchester and featuring songs by that
city's most beloved musicians. According to London's
Guardian newspaper, the show, titled Manchester
Passion, includes songs by the Smiths, New Order and
the Buzzcocks, as well as appearances by some famous
locals like Bez, the Happy Mondays dancer who will be
playing a disciple. The program, which will air on
Good Friday in the UK on BBC3, features an hour-long,
live procession through the streets of Madchester
(whose gay/red light district will serve as
Jerusalem). Some of the sure-to-be-unmissable musical
moments include Jesus singing the Smiths' "Heaven
Knows I'm Miserable Now" as he is being lashed by
Roman soldiers, and Mary Magdalene, accompanied by a
string quartet, asking the Buzzcocks' immortal
question, "Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You
Shouldn't Fallen In Love With)?"

If you plan to be in the north of England on April 14,
you should know that you too can join the procession,
as members of the public are being encouraged to
follow the march. Surprisingly, The Guardian reported
that the program is enjoying support from both the
Church of England and the area's Roman Catholic
Church. In fact, Canon Robin Gamble of Manchester
Cathedral told the paper, "I wouldn't know a Buzzcock
from a ballcock so I couldn't really comment on the
music. All I can say is that they are not doing a
Christian service, it is a piece of contemporary
theatre and that is going to get people to think about
the story in modern terms." We don't know much about
plumbing either, but we do know that any television
show that includes Jesus and Judas dueting on "Blue
Monday" is not to be missed.

This should be intersting!  ;D

right! I was wondering if anyone on the boards lives nearby and can report on the events....