In The Passion of Mary Magdalene, British composer Tansy Davies gives voice to Mary Magdalene — not as a supporting figure, but as the central character of the story. She is the first to witness the resurrection of Jesus, the bearer of the news, and the heart of this intense music-theatre experience about loss, transformation, and rebirth.

Davies connects the Christian narrative with ancient resurrection myths. Echoes of the Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris resound: the dismembering and reassembling of the body. Time and again, it is a woman who makes the impossible possible.

Mary Magdalene’s voice takes shape through the poetry of Ruth Fainlight — sensual, dreamlike, and raw. The Passion of Mary Magdalene is not a traditional Passion story, but an experience that recharges myth and faith, inviting you to pause — and turn inward.

Tansy Davies writes vital, physical music that blends influences from classical avant-garde, funk, and experimental rock. Her works are often energetic and rhythmically driven, marked by rich orchestration and a distinctive collage-like approach.