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Heart and Soul: A Night in the Opera

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Prisoners from Milan Opera Prison

18/12/2016 GMT

A Night in the Opera

BBC World Service - Heart and Soul, A Night in the Opera

The Story of Christ told through a play with a cast of prisoners from Milan Opera Prison

The Story of Christ told through a play with a cast of prisoners from Milan Opera Prison.

Scottish theatre director and Christian, Suzanne Lofthus, travels to Italy to mount a play of The Story of Christ in Europe’s biggest jail, The Opera Prison in Milan. With a cast of 30 male inmates plus 10 women prisoners from the nearby Bollate women’s prison, Suzanne and her Italian assistant director George, will work over a six week period to stage a Passion Play. And, Suzanne does not speak Italian!

We follow Suzanne on this challenge and discover how her faith has led her to embrace these unlikely thespians, many of whom are non-Christian or not of any faith at all. After an initial casting trip, on her return Suzanne finds out that many of her cast have vanished, either moved to another jail or been released. With crimes ranging from drug smuggling to murder and Mafia activities, how does Suzanne see her religious faith working alongside this criminal community.  Her lead actor playing Jesus, has learnt most of his lines, but others have not and she is having problems replacing her missing St Peter star.

With three weeks to go, will they ever be able to pull off the performance she wants, especially as the women will only get to rehearse with the men on the day of the first show. Will God’s strength pull Suzanne and her cast of jailbirds through and put on a performance of Biblical proportions?

(Photo: A Night in the Opera performance. Credit: Clara Vannucci)

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