Tells the Story of Mary in the Quran

– There’s a lot of focus on the differences within society and between religions. This story might turn that on its head a bit and instead highlight some of the things we have in common.

The story is based on the figure of Mary as portrayed in the Quran and Islamic tradition. For example, in the Bible we first hear about Mary in connection with the birth of Jesus. In the Quran, Mary’s story begins before she is even born, and ends with the infant Jesus speaking from his cradle. The story is told through Mehda Zolfaqari’s narration and composer Nawar Alnaddaf’s music.

Strong and inspiring

Mehda Zolfaqari hopes the performance will shed light on what she herself considers a powerful and inspiring figure in the history of religion.

“Maria was a courageous woman who dared to defy convention. In many ways, she has been an inspiration in my life,” says Zolfaqari, who also hopes that the performance will help promote storytelling as an art form:

The world's first art form

– Storytelling is, after all, the world’s first art form. Stories were passed down from one generation to the next long before written language made its appearance in the world. In Norway in recent years, storytelling has received more attention, which I think is really exciting.

After four performances atperforming arts centre Kilden performing arts centre February, the production will visit a number of schools in the Kristiansand region before going on tour in Agder and returning to Kilden the end of April.

Storyteller Mehda Zolfaqari