Witness: Five Plays from the Gospel of Luke
Encyclopedia
Witness: Five Plays from the Gospel of Luke was a series of five 45-minute radio plays by Nick Warburton
based on the Gospel of Luke
, first broadcast from 17 to 21 December 2007 (i.e. in the week before Christmas Day) as part of BBC Radio 4
's Afternoon Play
strand. They were directed by Jonquil Panting
. Jesus and the disciples were portrayed in regional accents, a trope in radio retellings of the Gospel stories since Dorothy L. Sayers' The Man Born to be King
. Upper class characters were presented in Received Pronunciation
, city-folk in Jerusalem in London working-class accents, and Romans such as Pilate
and the Centurion in an American accent.
Each play was followed by a 15 minute documentary presented by Ernie Rea on the themes covered in the preceding play.
Nick Warburton
Nick Warburton was a primary school teacher for ten years before deciding to become a full-time writer. He writes plays for stage, television and radio and scripts for television series including Doctors, Holby City and EastEnders. He has been part of the regular writing team on Holby City since...
based on the Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
, first broadcast from 17 to 21 December 2007 (i.e. in the week before Christmas Day) as part of BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Afternoon Play
Afternoon Play
The Afternoon Play is a long-running drama programming strand, broadcast every weekday at 2.15pm on BBC Radio 4. Each play lasts for 45 minutes, and roughly 190 new Afternoon Plays are broadcast each year....
strand. They were directed by Jonquil Panting
Jonquil Panting
Jonquil Panting is a British radio director, notable for her work for BBC Radio 4, such as Witness: Five Plays from the Gospel of Luke and I, Claudius .-Radio Plays:-References:...
. Jesus and the disciples were portrayed in regional accents, a trope in radio retellings of the Gospel stories since Dorothy L. Sayers' The Man Born to be King
The Man Born to be King
The Man Born to Be King is a radio drama based on the life of Jesus, produced and broadcast by the BBC during the Second World War. It is a play cycle consisting of twelve plays depicting specific periods in Jesus' life, from the events surrounding his birth to his death and resurrection...
. Upper class characters were presented in Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English, Oxford English or BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms...
, city-folk in Jerusalem in London working-class accents, and Romans such as Pilate
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
and the Centurion in an American accent.
Each play was followed by a 15 minute documentary presented by Ernie Rea on the themes covered in the preceding play.
Episodes
- The Lake - The calling of Peter and Andrew
- Outsiders - Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Simon and other outsiders are embraced by Jesus
- Jerusalem - Jesus and his disciples arrive in Jerusalem, and Judas decides to betray him
- Tested - The Passion, as seen by Pilate, Caiaphas, Peter,and the Virgin Mary
- Beginners - Mary recalls her son's birth in the days after the Crucifixion, and then the disciples witness the Resurrection
Cast
- Jesus - Tom Goodman-HillTom Goodman-HillTom Goodman-Hill is an English actor of radio, film, stage and television.Born as Tom Hill and raised near Newcastle upon Tyne, he qualified as a teacher before turning to acting. During his time in Newcastle, he regularly acted in amateur performances at the People's Theatre...
- Peter - Peter FirthPeter FirthPeter Firth is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC show Spooks, of which he is the only actor to have starred in every episode of the show's 10 series lifespan...
- Andrew - Paul CopleyPaul CopleyPaul Mackriell Copley is an award-winning English actor and voice-over artist.-Early life:Copley was born in Denby Dale, West Yorkshire, and grew up beside a dairy farm there. His father, Harold, was involved with local amateur dramatic productions, as were the rest of his family...
- Judas - Paul HiltonPaul HiltonPaul Jerome Remigius Hilton was an Australian politician, and a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1935 until 1963 representing the seat of Carnarvon, and a minister in both the Hanlon and Gair Ministries....
(2-4) - Mary - Penelope WiltonPenelope WiltonPenelope Alice Wilton, OBE is an English actress.-Life and career:Penelope Alice Wilton was born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, to a former actress mother and a businessman father. She is a niece of actors Bill Travers and Linden Travers and a cousin of the actor Richard Morant...
(4&5) - Caiaphas - Robin SoansRobin SoansRobin Soans is an actor, and a playwright specialising in verbatim and documentary plays. These plays include Across the Divide ; A State Affair which looked at life on a Bradford estate, produced by Out of Joint theatre company; The Arab Israeli Cookbook ; Talking to Terrorists Robin Soans (born...
(3&4) - Magdalene - Lorraine AshbourneLorraine AshbourneLorraine Ashbourne is an English stage, film and television actress.-Career:She has appeared on British television series and television movies, including: The Street,True Dare Kiss, Thin Ice, In a Land of Plenty,...
(2&5) - Joanna - Rachel Atkins (2&5)
Episode 1
- Baptist - Stephen GreifStephen GreifStephen Greif is an award-winning English actor.His television appearances include Waking the Dead , Spooks , Mistresses 2 , He Kills Coppers , Holby City , The Last Days of Pompeii as Sporus, Judge John Deed , Space Race , EastEnders , The Bill and...
- Elder - Sam Dale
- Possessed man - John Lloyd Fillingham
- John - Simon TrevesSimon TrevesFrederick Simon Treves, known as Simon Treves, is an English actor, director and writer probably best known for playing Harold 'Stinker' Pinker in three series of ITV's Jeeves and Wooster.-Biography:...
- Woman - Laura Molyneux
- Tempter - Peter MarinkerPeter MarinkerPeter Marinker is a Canadian actor well known for his role as Kiichi Goto in the Patlabor series and his many audio book recordings. He currently resides in the UK.-Filmography:*A Wind Named Amnesia as Simpson*Angel Cop as Dr...
Episode 2
- Woman - Maxine PeakeMaxine PeakeMaxine Peake is an English stage, film and television actress known for playing Veronica in Channel 4's Manchester-based drama series Shameless, Twinkle in Victoria Wood's sitcom Dinnerladies, and, most recently, barrister Martha Costello in BBC legal drama Silk.-Early life:Peake is the second of...
- Simon - Peter MarinkerPeter MarinkerPeter Marinker is a Canadian actor well known for his role as Kiichi Goto in the Patlabor series and his many audio book recordings. He currently resides in the UK.-Filmography:*A Wind Named Amnesia as Simpson*Angel Cop as Dr...
- Friend of the sick man - Ben Crowe
- Child - Poppy Friar
Episode 3
- Rich man - Simon TrevesSimon TrevesFrederick Simon Treves, known as Simon Treves, is an English actor, director and writer probably best known for playing Harold 'Stinker' Pinker in three series of ITV's Jeeves and Wooster.-Biography:...
- Pharisee - Alex LanipekunAlex LanipekunAlex Lanipekun is a British Actor of Nigerian and Italian/English origin. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art but left early to join the cast of the BBC drama Spooks as journalist come spy Ben Kaplan. In 2007 he won the prestigious Carleton Hobbs Award, joining the BBC Radio Drama Rep...
- Martha - Joannah TinceyJoannah TinceyJoannah Tincey is an English actress. She attended Guilford School of Acting and later trained at RADA. In 2007, she won a Carleton Hobbs’ bursary and joined the BBC Radio Drama Company....
- Zacchaeus - Sam Dale
- Tempter - Peter MarinkerPeter MarinkerPeter Marinker is a Canadian actor well known for his role as Kiichi Goto in the Patlabor series and his many audio book recordings. He currently resides in the UK.-Filmography:*A Wind Named Amnesia as Simpson*Angel Cop as Dr...
- Woman - Anna Bengo
- Lawyer - Sam Pamphilon
- Child - Skye BennettSkye BennettSkye Deva Bennett is an English teen actress, best known for her role as Sarah in the 2008 film Dark Floors, as well as for her role as Martha in The Pillars of the Earth.-Personal life:...
Episode 4
- Baker - Ben Crowe
- Centurion - Peter MarinkerPeter MarinkerPeter Marinker is a Canadian actor well known for his role as Kiichi Goto in the Patlabor series and his many audio book recordings. He currently resides in the UK.-Filmography:*A Wind Named Amnesia as Simpson*Angel Cop as Dr...
- Girl - Anna Bengo
- Guard - Lloyd Thomas
- Pilate - Colin StintonColin StintonColin Stinton is a Canadian-born actor who immigrated to the United States in 1952, and now lives in London. He often portrays fictional American politicians, lawyers and government agents. He recently played Neal Daniels in The Bourne Ultimatum...
Episode 5
- Angel - Julian BleachJulian BleachJulian Bleach is an English actor who is best known as co-creator and "M. C." of Shockheaded Peter, a musical entertainment based on the works of Heinrich Hoffmann, which won the 2002 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment.Bleach trained at LAMDA...
- Simeon - David de KeyserDavid de KeyserDavid de Keyser is a British actor. He is the father of Alexei de Keyser, Pia de Keyser and Thomas de Keyser.In the mid-sixties de Keyser worked twice with the writer, actor and director Jane Arden. Their first collaboration, The Logic Game, was the first BBC drama to be shot on film; it was...
- Joseph of Arimathea - Ben OnwukweBen OnwukweBen Onwukwe is a British film, radio, television, theatre and voice actor.He is perhaps best known for appearing as Stuart 'Recall' MacKenzie in thirty-nine episodes of London's Burning, a dramatic television series first aired on the British television network ITV.-Career:In addition to his...
- Young Mary - Laura Molyneux
- Cleopas - Sam Pamphilon