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.

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Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother

Barbican Centre

Two men live in a cramped space, transformed into a perfect machine: every piece of furniture conceals a function, every gesture is calculated to the millimetre. But something is missing in their ordered life. To fill the void they create a mechanical doll, which, however, takes on life, opinions, will. It is the beginning of an uneasy, exhilarating, catastrophic cohabitation. Inspired by the silent and surreal universe of Buster Keaton, Lebensraum (“living space”) è a jewel of physical theatre by Jakop Ahlbom.

Yuri Schreuders

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Feb 4, 2027

Lebensraum · Fondazione Teatro Donizetti

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Oct 2, 2025

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

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