Bushra El-Turk / Wajdi Mouawad / Kenza Koutchoukali - Oum - A Son’s Quest for His Mother

In collaboration with the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra and the Meervaart

19-year-old Wahab struggles through a nighttime snowstorm on his way to the hospital where his mother lies dying. This is the last moment he can untie the knot of his relationship with her. Deep in his heart, Wahab carries the song Al-Atlal ('The Ruins') by Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum. The song embodies the grief for a lost home, the longing for love and ultimately the promise of reconciliation amid the wreckage of a relationship.

Oum – A Son's Quest for His Mother is a collaboration between the Dutch National Opera, the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra and Meervaart. The musical theatre performance is an ode to a hidden icon on the largest stage in Amsterdam.