The stage musical ‘Mary’ returned to Eko Hotels theatre this weekend with a fresh retelling of the biblical story that combines music, drama and artificial intelligence to present the mother of Jesus from a deeply human perspective.
With the first showing on Saturday and a repeat on Sunday, the production is part of Eko Hotels’ July theatre season and explores Mary’s journey through faith, sacrifice and resilience before and after the divine calling that changed her life.
Rather than focusing only on the birth of Jesus, the musical examines Mary’s personal struggles, emotional conflicts and unwavering faith, inviting audiences to connect with her as a woman navigating extraordinary circumstances.
One of the production’s most distinctive creative choices is the portrayal of Joseph through two contrasting characters. While one represents steadfast devotion, the other embodies temptation, offering a dramatic exploration of Mary’s internal battle between purpose and doubt.
The production also incorporates artificial intelligence into its storytelling, adding a contemporary creative layer to the stage experience.
Speaking on the inspiration behind the production, Creative Director Ice Nweke said he wanted to move beyond the traditional retelling of the biblical narrative by imagining the untold parts of Mary’s life.
“I wanted to try telling the story from a different perspective, knowing fully well that there is no background story about Mary, who is she, how did she grow up, did she have friends, what about her mother, what about her father, none of that was mentioned and I love creating things from out of nothing,” he said.
Nweke explained that the creative team built a backstory that would allow audiences to see themselves in the characters.
“We built these sort of ideas around her to give her name, character and meaning, and through the trials and struggles before she even met the angel, so you feel that, ‘oh I can be a Mary, I can be a Joseph’, so that’s basically why we decided to tell the story from that direction.”
He added that the production deliberately highlights Mary’s humanity alongside her faith.
“Life without believing in something is empty, and connecting our faiths in a saviour is the best way we can actually connect our humanity to make sense, for it to have purpose.”
Nweke said his approach to biblical storytelling is to explore what has not previously been told.
“Everybody has always thought about, ‘oh she got pregnant and then she gave birth’. How can we tell that story, that even somebody in the now can connect with it? So that’s where everything I know about creativity flows into place.”
He also revealed that the casting process involved several rounds of auditions to ensure every performer embodied their character.
“We had to audition over and over, We did about three callbacks before we got the characters for Mary. We are looking for something, and you have to have that, because that’s the thread that connects every other person.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
