The story you know. The voices you haven’t heard.
Followers, presented by Fifth Wall Productions shifts the lens of the story of the Passion for an innovative and challenging perspective.
Five women are trapped in the grounds of a Jewish temple – which is forbidden to them – on the night of Jesus’ arrest. When political power, faith, love, and survival collide, the women face a potentially deadly choice: government law outside or religious law inside.
Followers is a visceral reimagining of the Passion, told through the eyes of these five women from disparate backgrounds who are trapped in the wrong place at the right time. Forced together, these women must confront what they believe and whether it’s worth dying for. From that premise, the production builds a layered, emotionally charged narrative that explores faith under pressure, the cost of resistance, and the often overlooked courage of women navigating systems of power.
Co-author Eunice Mwabe plays Esther
Co-author Eunice Mwabe was inspired by curiosity about the women who would have surrounded the Disciples – their girlfriends, their wives, their mothers, their friends. Why do we hear so little about them in the Bible and what would their roles have been in the controversy of the Passion? Mwabe reframes the story by centring voices previously relegated to the margins.
Some nights change everything
Set in Biblical times, the play nonetheless references today’s backdrop of government crackdowns and religious tension, weaving ancient narrative and modern Kenyan culture to explore contemporary social issues. Mwabe notes the parallels between the two societies and the injustice and corruption within that have existed for millenia.
Lorna Lemi plays Mary
The play leans into questions that feel especially pertinent in today’s climate: the friction between authority and conscience; the role of women in movements for change; the ways communities come together, or sometimes fracture, under pressure; the weight of decisions in pivotal moments; and how belief systems are tested under pressure. While this is political theatre, this piece remains deeply human, anchored in intimate character journeys that unfold against a much larger backdrop.
Nyokabi Macharia plays Mama Simon
The cast brings together a compelling ensemble of performers, each inhabiting characters shaped by both personal stakes and broader political realities. Nyokabi Macharia plays Mama Simon, a grounded, observant temple worker watching her world shift in real time, while Foi Wambui’s Anna grapples with impending motherhood against a backdrop of uncertainty. Eunice Mwabe portrays Esther, caught between love and political ambition, as Lorna Lemi’s Mary leans into a faith that is both anchor and question. Completing the central five is Marrianne Nungo as Claudia, a Roman woman of privilege confronting the discomfort of awakening conviction.
Marrianne Nungo as Claudia
The production features a multi-level set representing temple courtyards and sacred spaces, with immersive audience positioning that places viewers as witnesses to the unfolding events., integrating dynamic lighting, atmospheric sound design, and live musical elements that blend contemporary and traditional influences. The language is primarily English with seamless Kiswahili integration, maintaining both historical grounding and modern cultural resonance.
Foi Wambui plays Anna
Audiences should expect an emotionally engaging theatrical experience that challenges preconceptions while honoring the source material. The fast-paced production which takes place over one night, almost in real time, combines intimate character development with larger questions about faith, politics, and personal responsibility.
Mwabe advises not to expect any neat bows on the story: the women are real and messy, they are grappling with difficult decisions, both physical and ethical. This is theatre that invites reflection as much as it demands attention. It’s not simply about revisiting the past, but about recognising its echoes in the present, and perhaps, in the choices we continue to make.
FOLLOWERS | Braeside, Lavington | Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 March | Times Vary
Written by Mercy Mutisya and Eunice Mwabe
Concept and Creative Direction by Eunice Mwabe
Directed by Agnes Kola
Produced by Joy Oww
Executive Producer: FifthWall Productions
