Bunmi Awolowo’s “99% Virgin” Draws from Real Conversations on Faith and Desire

Ahead of its premiere at the Lagos International Theatre Festival in November, playwright and director Bunmi Awolowo has shared the inspiration behind her new stage play, 99% Virgin.

Produced under Signpost Studios, the production follows Olamide, a young Christian woman whose beliefs about purity are tested as she navigates the conflict between faith and desire.

Speaking to The Nollywood Reporter on October 23, Awolowo said the play was inspired by real-life conversations — including a social media post that highlighted the quiet, vulnerable discussions women have about faith, guilt, and waiting.

“As a woman, I’ve seen how society constantly questions women’s purity but rarely their pain,” she said. “As a filmmaker, I felt a need to tell a story that doesn’t condemn but humanizes — a story that lets women breathe, laugh, and be seen in their struggle to do right. This play is my love letter to everyone trying to stay faithful in a world that keeps testing their convictions.”

Awolowo noted that finding balance was one of the biggest challenges in writing and directing 99% Virgin. “It was about portraying purity and desire without being preachy or provocative. As both writer and director, I had to constantly switch hats — protecting the story’s heart while shaping it for the stage,” she explained.

Through 99% Virgin, Awolowo hopes to shed light on how society judges and misunderstands both men and women when it comes to purity and moral expectations.

The production features performances from Debby Whyte, Blessing Boyede, Isreal Audu, Oyindasola Taiwo, Pedro Taiwo, and Seyi Sobowale. 99% Virgin will run from November 15 to 16, 2025, at the Muson Centre in Lagos.