From stage to screen, Alex Noel considers how the growing emphasis on women’s perspectives is reshaping familiar narratives and inviting audiences into a deeper, more nuanced understanding of faith.
On 12 April, the annual Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, gathered stars of stage (and screen) to celebrate standout contributions to theatre over the past year. Presenting the award for ‘Best Actress in a Supporting Role’ was Minnie Driver.
It felt poignant: she currently stars in The Faithful: Women of the Bible, a six-episode Fox mini-series which reimagines well-known biblical stories from a female perspective, and makes women the central characters. In it, Minnie Driver plays Abraham’s wife, Sarah, who becomes the heroine of the story, “The Woman who Bowed to No One”, and whose experience we get to explore in the first instalment.
Minnie Driver portrays Sarah’s years-long struggle to conceive with a resolute dignity
Minnie Driver portrays Sarah’s years-long struggle to conceive with a resolute dignity. This is threaded through the shame she faces, her personal sense of grief, and the worry of disappointing Abraham’s hopes, whilst being otherwise happily married. It’s enough not to be able to conceive in modern times, but when bearing children carried such a huge cultural cachet, it adds several more layers. The show also explores the damage done when we attempt to realise God’s promises through sheer force of will - even if we’re well-meaning, or believe we’re doing the right thing, or have people available and willing to help. It is still Hagar who presents the solution to Sarah’s barrenness but in the show she is less the ‘handmaiden’ of the Bible, and more a surrogate who consents to carry Abraham and Sarah’s child. Nonetheless, it is still cautionary tale, which also shows God’s redemption in our limitations and missteps.
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As important as the female perspective is though, it isn’t just about making ourselves the heroine of the story.
As important as the female perspective is though, it isn’t just about making ourselves the heroine of the story. We’re not simply looking for ‘main character energy’ here. We are looking for nuanced, empathetic portrayals that add depth and colour to the Bible’s words so we can understand and connect with who God truly is. And The Faithful helps to highlight the decidedly masculine - and patriarchal - slant of many existing interpretations, by imagining something new.
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You might have noticed this, if you’ve ever listened to an audio version of the Bible. Several prominent recordings have an entirely male voice - which carries a characteristically authoritative and commanding tone; one we might inexplicably adopt when we read it out loud ourselves. This ‘default voice’ of the Bible is one I often heard growing up and have struggled to shake, especially in my own mind. But that is changing now. A few years ago I came across the Courage for Life audio Bible - entirely voiced by women, all of whom are trained actors. It is beautifully produced - with some music and atmospheric sound in the background. Hearing Bible passages read in women’s voices, expanded my perception of God entirely. Here was tenderness, softness, inquiry, emotional range, strength; balance. It put a whole new spin on a book that - if I hadn’t known better - seemed written just to inspire awe and obedience, rather than invite me into a relationship. Thankfully, more audio versions are now adding further nuance in their own way.
The Bible is more than words on a page; and how they are delivered, matters. In that sense it’s much like an actor’s script. God enacted it perfectly with Jesus becoming the living, breathing medium for his message; the Word made flesh. In Jesus, the Word is embodied as tender-hearted, full of energy and compassion and mercy, actively involved in society. The Word prioritises women and men equally; expressed in the quality of Jesus’s friendships, how he discipled his followers and invested in those around him. And it’s a Word that speaks truth to power and stands up for the oppressed. While bowing to no one, it surrenders everything to God.
That’s a Bible I’d like to read.
The Faithful: Women of the Bible is advertised as streaming on Hulu, and on Disney+ in the UK.
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