Brazil: Theatre-goer attacks actor in play in a bid to rescue Jesus

An audience member has run on stage beating an actor playing a roman soldier, in an effort to 'save Jesus from being crucified on the cross' at a Passion of the Christ play in Brazil. Courtesy: Luana Campos/FocusOn News

Audience member runs on stage to 'save Jesus from being crucified' 0:24

THE drama unfolded during a performance of a biblical play — with the attacker barging on stage screaming “I am not going to let Jesus die.”

Video shows the moment the unnamed man leaps on stage in Nova Hartz town centre in south Brazil last night to launch his surprise defence of the Christian messiah.

He then slams the head of an actor playing a Roman soldier with a motorcycle helmet before booting the captor clear of “Christ.”

William da Silva, the city’s planning director, said more than 1,000 people were in the town square watching and at first no one could believe what was happening.

He said: “The man leapt up from the middle of the audience and no one guessed what he was about to do.

“Witnesses reported the attacker was shouting ‘he was not going to let Jesus die’ before he barged on stage.”

Actors then rushed to subdue the man who continued to lash out as fists flew.

Meanwhile the actor playing Jesus remained calm and in character amid the chaos.

Shocked director Adriano Ferreira, who manages a company of 80 actors, said: “There are some things that are just inexplicable.

“We halted the play for a few moments, but as no one had been injured, we decided to continue with the staging.”

This story originally appeared in The Sun and is republished with permission.