WATCH: Local students make final preparations for ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’

A column of over 200 young people from local schools took over the streets of Mullingar for 15 minutes yesterday (Thursday), leaving motorists and passers-by intrigued.

There were placards and chants galore, and one would have been forgiven for thinking that it was some kind of a protest, or, on closer inspection, a religious procession.

It was all theatre however – a traffic-stopper, as well as a show-stopper – as students from Coláiste Mhuire and Loreto College, Mullingar put some of the finishing touches for their forthcoming presentation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, which runs at Mullingar Arts Centre next week.

Some 200 students – 60 of whom form the cast of the production – marched from the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar to Mullingar Arts Centre yesterday afternoon, singing ‘Hosanna’ from the celebrated musical.

The purpose, apart from promoting the production, was to film the procession and use it as a backdrop for the scene from ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ which depicts Christ’s triumphant arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Leading the colourful procession were cast members Peter Kennedy (Jesus), Luke Raeside (Peter) and Katie Purdue (Mary Magdalene).

Mullingar Arts Centre, which facilitates drama programmes in local schools, will host the production between Wednesday and Saturday next, April 6-9 (8pm each night).

The director of the Arts Centre, Sean Lynch, said that the students have been working very hard for the production’s debut next week.