In pictures: Peru inmates stage Jesus Christ Superstar musical

An inmate depicting Jesus performs at the Sarita Colonia prison yard in Lima, on April 15, 2014. — Image caption,
Prisoners in the Peruvian capital, Lima, have marked Holy Week performing the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar

Their production of the 1971 hit musical by British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was directed by inmate Freddy Battifora, who also played the lead role

Prisoners perform at the Sarita Colonia prison yard in Lima, on April 15, 2014.

The musical was performed at the Sarita Colonia jail, with backing from the Catholic Church, as part of a rehabilitation programme for prisoners

The show, which chronicles the final days of Jesus' life, was meant to give prisoners an opportunity to change their own lives around through theatre

An inmate gets his make-up done before performing at the Sarita Colonia prison yard in Lima, on April 15, 2014.

Rehearsals began in February, and there was a flurry of excitement among the 80-strong cast of Peruvians and foreigners

Prison guards and inmates watch other prisoners performing at the Sarita Colonia prison yard in Lima, on April 15, 2014.

The audience in the prison's open-air patio was made up of other inmates of all nationalities, as dozens of armed guards watched on

An inmate prepares to enter on stage at the Sarita Colonia prison yard in Lima, on April 15, 2014.

The all-inmate cast, which included women, also sewed the costumes, built the set and worked backstage on sound and special effects

A prison guard watches the theatre from backstage at Sarita Colonia prison yard in Lima, on April 15, 2014.

The vice-director of Peru's prison system, Julio Magan, said the production had shown that, despite their conviction, prisoners had the "right to be re-born"