Kumpanija Teatrali Dumnikani Beltin will be staging a Passion play, titled Agape – Imħabba bla tarf, between April 12 and 18.

Penned by Etienne Micallef and directed by his father, Frank, the play places Salomé at the centre of the story. The Gospels mention Salomé as one of the women who followed Jesus and supported his ministry.

In the Passion play, she is identified as the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, and is present in key moments, including the crucifixion and the discovery of the empty tomb. She is also identified as the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, therefore Jesus’s aunt and  James and John are thus seen as Jesus’s cousins.

Though the Bible does not explicitly say that Salomé and Mary were sisters, the play focuses on the familial connections among Jesus’s closest followers, including his mother and Salomé.

Agape – Imħabba Bla Tarf will take place at Sala San Duminku in Merchants street, Valletta, on April 12 at 7.15pm, April 14 and 16 at 7.15pm and on Good Friday, April 18, at 9.30am. For bookings, call 9945 1909.