Director

The 19-year-old Wahab struggles through a nighttime snowstorm on his way to the hospital where his mother lies dying. This is his last chance to untangle the knot of his relationship with her. Deep in his heart, Wahab carries the song Al-Atlal (“The Ruins”) by the Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum. The song embodies the sorrow of a lost home, the longing for love, and ultimately the promise of reconciliation amidst the fragments of a broken relationship.

EPSG:4326

Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother

Barbican Centre

'A dazzling total work of art' and 'sparkling and imaginative music theatre'. This is how the new dance opera How Anansi liberated the stories of the world was received at its world premiere in 2021. This season, the National Ballet and the National Opera are therefore once again highlighting the story about the resourceful fairytale spider Anansi with a lot of passion, verve and humor.

How Anansi liberated the stories of the world

National Opera & Ballet

Fifty years after her death, the significance of the Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum (ca. 1900 – 1975) is still indescribably great. In the new music theater performance OUM, her influential musical universe is combined with the book Visage retrouvé by the renowned writer and director Wajdi Mouawad.

Director

Kenza Koutchoukali

Events

Past events

Oct 2, 2025

Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother · Barbican Centre

16 - 25 May, 2025

How Anansi liberated the stories of the world · Nationale Opera & Ballet

About

Kenza Koutchoukali hasn't added a bio