Fresh from its successful theatrical run,
you can now have the smash hit
The Gospel According to Saint Mark come to your town!

As of May 1, 2008, the Hope Theatre mailing address will be changing to:
6 Crerar Blvd #3, Kingston, ON  K7M 3P6. Telephone, email, and website addresses remain the same. We look forward to hearing from you!

Professional actor Matthew Gibson -- named by The National Post as one of the best actors of 2004 -- brings The Gospel According to Saint Mark to vivid life upon the stage. Gibson gives what is considered the oldest of the Gospels a dramatic two-hour solo performance, bringing the text alive through a unique blend of storytelling and theatricality.

The Gospel According to Saint Mark is adaptable to most any sanctuary, theatre or meeting hall. The technical requirements of the production are very simple: A sound system with a CD player is required for our music cues, and although it is always nice to have lighting for the show, it is not required for an effective performance; the set is a small table and chair which we supply. For local Kingston-area performances, a preliminary site visit may be requested in order to address various performance logistics.  Generally, however, we simply require roughly 2 hours in the space immediately prior to the performance to prepare props, test sound, lights, etc. If available, it is helpful to have the church's sound technician present during this pre-show period. For non-local productions, we usually request information about the ground plan and any technical specifications for the space be provided to us in advance to allow us to most effectively prepare for our visit.

The text of the performance is the entire Book of Saint Mark from the King James Bible of 1611. We have chosen to end the Gospel at Ch. 16 v. 8, which is traditionally considered to be the last verse written by Mark himself. The “longer ending” is available upon request (please give us at two weeks notice in order to prepare).

The running time for The Gospel According to Saint Mark is approximately 2 hours 15 minutes (including a 15 minute intermission -- we've found that both actor and audiences benefit from a short break at the halfway point!).

We've consistently noticed that the show goes most smoothly when the audience has a chance to have coffee/juice and/or cookies & such at the intermission -- it refreshes them and perks them up a little. It also seems to provide a 'social prop' to help them begin to interact with one another. Now, of course, it's optional, but if you are able to arrange something simple along those lines, it definitely makes the audience/congregation feel more welcome.

"Saw [Alec McCowen]  
 20 years ago at Hart House --  
 am enjoying it even  
more this time!"