The Drama

Many people these days are not interested in reading the Bible. They think that it is irrelevant, old-fashioned, or unreliable.

Dusting off the old book, the Mark Drama turns Mark’s biographical account of Jesus into a 90 minute, fast-paced, theatre-in-the-round stage production. Fully immersed in the action, the audience hears almost all the words of Jesus as recorded in Mark’s gospel.

Just as the disciples ask, ‘Who is this man, that even the wind and the waves obey him?’ (Mark 4:41), guests can discover for themselves – is Jesus just another guy with imaginative ideas about God, or is he truly the King of the universe?

Mark’s Gospel in 90 minutes

No props or script: Surprisingly, the Mark Drama doesn’t use any props or set design. You don’t need professional actors, and rehearsals occur only three days prior to the performances. What’s more, the Bible is the only script used! So (apart from memorising Mark’s gospel) the Mark Drama is a no-fuss, dramatic presentation of the life of Jesus. It’s basically just a retelling of the Biblical account, where people hear God’s word in a freshly vivid way.

“If I’m honest, I went to the Mark Drama doubting how good it would be. I left in no doubt that it is absolutely outstanding” – a comment from an audience member. Read more about what people think of the Mark Drama.

Theatre-in-the-round: Instead of a normal elevated stage, set at a distance from the audience, the Mark Drama is theatre-in-the-round, with the stage at the centre of the audience. Chairs are arranged in concentric circles with three aisles stretching out from the centre, along which actors move and perform. As such, the audience are fully immersed in the action.

How does this happen?

The Mark Drama involves a team of 15 people (8 men, 7 women). The team learn the order of the events in Mark’s Gospel over six weeks using The Mark Experiment. Once the order of events are memorised, and actors have carefully studied the Biblical story, a trained director then teaches the actors the Mark Drama. These rehearsals normally occur over 2-3 days, just prior to the performances.

“It was really helpful and interesting to learn Mark in such a lot of detail and it was a lot of fun. It’s really hard to believe you will actually be able to do the whole thing in just three rehearsals, but God was so obviously working and helping us.”

Watch our promotional videos to find out more.

Where has the Mark Drama been performed?

Since arriving in Australia in 2014, the Mark Drama has been hosted by more than 150 churches, Bible colleges, residential colleges, and university Christian groups across Australia.

Here’s just some of the organisations who have hosted a Mark Drama:

Bible Colleges:

Moore Theological College, Sydney
Brisbane School of Theology

University Christian Groups:

Christian Unions at Melbourne University, Curtin University, Murdoch University and University of Western Australia
Evangelical Union at University of Sydney
Evangelical Students at University of Queensland
FOCUS at the Australian National University

Residential Colleges:

Flo Harris Lodge, Sydney
New College, UNSW

Major Events:

The Adelaide Fringe Festival
AFES’ National Training Event (NTE)

Churches:

Geraldton Anglican Cathedral (WA)
Victoria Park Presbyterian Park, Perth (WA)
Village Presbyterian Church, Brisbane (QLD)
Southside International Church, Brisbane (QLD)
Orange Evangelical Church (NSW)
Central Baptist Church, Sydney (NSW)
St John’s Anglican Cathedral, Parramatta (NSW)
Trinity Church Adelaide (SA)
Lakes Entrance Baptist Church (VIC)

See the Mark Drama

Hopefully there is a production happening sometime soon, at a place near you! Check out our Facebook page or subscribe to our News and Updates page.

Host the Mark Drama

Our step-by-step guide explains what is involved in putting on the Mark Drama.

These pages are about hosting the Mark Drama in Australia. If you’re wanting to produce the show in another country, please visit the Mark Drama international page.

“I was struck by how effective the Mark Drama is. It gives a clear and complete gospel message to secular, post-Christian friends and family. Drama as a medium, provides a great vehicle for presenting the whole story of Jesus in all its rawness, complexity and beauty.”
– Carl Matthei, Senior Minister of Campus Bible Study