Based on texts from the Old Testament, the oratorio Elias tells the story of the prophet Elijah, who is said to have lived in the ninth century BC. Elijah announces a drought for the unbelievers, the followers of the god Baal, to convert them to his faith. Directed by Kobie van Rensburg, the Old Testament story is critically questioned: who is perpetrator, who victim? Is religion or an enlightened form of humanism preferable? What do religions do to a society, and what do they do to people? How do religions affect coexistence? How does religious fanaticism arise? And how do you relate to the tantalising statement, "To believe is to know nothing"?

This production sheds light on the challenge of not blindly adopting religious lore, but critically examining it again and again.
With numerous soloists and a large choir - both on stage and in the auditorium - South African video artist and director Kobie van Rensburg impressively brings this operatic oratorio to life.