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Award-winning actor George Dillon presents an unforgettable vision of Jesus in his highly intense, very human and occasionally humorous performance of The Gospel of Matthew, staged either with sound and video (in theatres) or simply by candle-light (in churches).
"What Dillon has done is take the intense drama of the Gospel, maximised the emotional impact, pumped up the intensity and created a mesmerising one-man show of sheer brilliance!" The Argus
Inspired by an encounter with Bob Geldof at Euston Station and created in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Dillon’s powerful delivery of his own translation portrays Jesus not as a gentle, meek and mild lamb to the slaughter but as a contemporary raging fighter for God - an angry Jesus - a Christ who is angry at humanity but also human in his anger.
"Most unusually for contemporary drama on this theme, Dillon's Gospel of Matthew is wholly authentic to the biblical text. Dillon brings out levels of meaning in Matthew rarely heard in pulpits. His rendering of Jesus's righteous anger is simply shattering; his Lord's Prayer has an all-to-rare note of urgency." The Church of England News / Baptist Times
The Gospel of Matthew was traditionally considered the earliest account of the life and teachings of Jesus and was originally compiled soon after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. With religious and racial conflict still spreading from the Middle East, Matthew’s apocalyptic Gospel is as relevant, inspiring and terrifying today as when it was written.
"What overwhelms is the absolute relevance of these ancient stories to the contemporary scene. The simple clarity of the teaching of Jesus transcends specifics of time and place. The radical message of loving one’s enemies has never sounded so revolutionary, straightforward, obvious and utterly sensible." The Scotsman
Dillon’s version of The Gospel of Matthew is at times startling and challenging in its immediacy but also wholly authentic to the original scripture, and his performance of it has won praise from all sides of the faith divide. He was nominated for The Stage’s Best Actor Award for The Gospel of Matthew at the Edinburgh Festival in 2003. His performance was later filmed for Scottish TV and has won wide acclaim touring to theatres and churches throughout the UK.
"George Dillon’s epic, impassioned telling of Matthew's gospel has a visceral, biting, colloquial power that is at times quite stunning. It is a blessed relief to have something religious on the fringe which is neither mindlessly evangelical nor trite about the subject." The Stage
Book early to be sure to experience an astonishing, virtuoso delivery of the greatest story ever told... as Jesus's followers first heard it... in a darkness illuminated purely by candlelight and the Word.
At the Nightingale Theatre during the Brighton Festival in 2007, George Dillon performed The Gospel of Matthew by candle-light. The experiment was successful and since then his performance has been seen at a number of churches, with limited technical facilites. If you belong to a church and would be interested in having a performance in your church (or church hall) please contact George Dillon via this website.
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