Eko Hotels Stage Hosts 'Mary' Musical, Offering Fresh Biblical Perspective

The stage musical 'Mary' made its grand return to the Eko Hotels theatre recently, captivating audiences with a novel interpretation of the biblical narrative. This production, which had its inaugural showing on Saturday and a repeat performance on Sunday, forms part of Eko Hotels’ July theatre series. It masterfully blends music, drama, and artificial intelligence to explore the life of Jesus' mother from a deeply human viewpoint.

Beyond merely chronicling the birth of Jesus, the musical delves into Mary’s personal struggles, her emotional conflicts, and her unwavering faith, both preceding and following the divine call that reshaped her destiny. The aim is to allow the audience to connect with Mary as an ordinary woman navigating extraordinary circumstances.

A standout creative decision in this production is the depiction of Joseph through two distinct characters: one embodies steadfast devotion, while the other represents temptation. This duality provides a compelling dramatic exploration of Mary's inner conflict between her divine purpose and personal doubts. Furthermore, the integration of artificial intelligence adds a modern, inventive layer to the theatrical experience.

Creative Director Ice Nweke shared insights into his inspiration, explaining his desire to move beyond conventional biblical retellings by imagining the unexplored facets 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,” Nweke stated.

He further elaborated that the creative team meticulously constructed a backstory designed to make the characters relatable to contemporary audiences. “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.” Nweke emphasized the production’s deliberate highlighting of Mary’s humanity alongside her faith, adding, “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 reiterated his philosophy for biblical storytelling: to uncover what remains untold. “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 disclosed the rigorous casting process, which involved multiple audition rounds to ensure each performer perfectly embodied their role. “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.” The production featured Erizia Rubyjeana among its cast.