Last month I had the privilege of taking to the stage in the latest version of “The Virgin Monologues”. This idea for this inspired piece of community theatre was born a year ago by my talented colleague and friend Anna Adams: who directed and produced the project along with ‘Stage-Fright’s’ Artistic Director Michael Johnson.
Inspired by a book of poems on the Virgin Mary by Nicola Slee, the project evolved. During this last year 3 performances have been held under the same title: all of which have been unique and different.

The idea and concept: To engage women with aspects of Mary’s character and moments of her life that we often neglect to think about. For women who may of never written or performed to come together and consider Mary, in a series of monologues that tell of her untold moments and in doing so tell their own stories

An inspiring group of women have been and continue to be at the heart of this on going project. Around 30 women from the ages of 7 – 75 have given Mary a voice and revealed or discovered hidden talents. The latest performance ran for an hour, included 17 women and about 22 monologues. All varied and thought provoking and in the words of one audience member ‘unbiased’. The aim wasn’t to present what we as a cast thought Mary was like but to give varying and contradictory views on her character.

The project is one that I pray will continue in many different contexts and guises. As writing workshops, performances, weekend workshops etc. In churches, prisons or care homes. Mary was a woman; she was a little girl, a teenager, a daughter, a wife and a mother. She experienced moments of intense heartache but also inexpressible joy… just like any other woman and to think about her life with such a diverse group of women is an incredible experience.