25 April 2011 Last updated at 13:41

Grand finale to Sheen's Port Talbot Passion Play

Michael Sheen on the final day of his Passion Play

The grand finale to Michael Sheen's 72-hour performance of The Passion in Port Talbot ended with the Hollywood actor being "crucified" in front of a huge audience

Sheen walking with the cross through the streets of Port Talbot

Sheen had returned to his home town to star as a Christ-like character in the marathon theatre production that took in locations around Port Talbot.

Staged by the National Theatre Wales the production was made up of a cast and crew of over 1,000 professionals and amateurs and attracted an audience of thousands more.

John McGrath, artistic director of National Theatre Wales, said: It's exceeded everybody's expectations. It's absolutely fantastic - the whole town understood it and got the bug."

Celebrity couple Katherine Jenkins and Gethin Jones were among the large crowd in Port Talbot. Jenkins hails from nearby Neath.

Passion plays developed to tell the story of the trial suffering and death of Christ. Mr Mr McGrath said: "We've followed the sequence of events quite faithfully in making a new story based on The Passion, making it work theatrically and as a community event".

On Easter Sunday a trial was performed on Civic Square before a procession from Station Road, with the final scene, "the cross", at Aberavon seafront.

Written by Welsh poet and novelist Owen Sheers, the Easter production was the last and largest of a series of National Theatre Wales "moving productions" in its first year.

Wales

Grand finale to Sheen's Port Talbot Passion Play

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