Majnun

MAJNUN

Majnun (pronounced Medj-noen) is a production by theatre maker Amira al Rawi in collaboration with the Amsterdam Andalusian Oorchestra (AAO) and Maas theater en dans. In this performance, music and dance merge into a contemporary interpretation of the classical story of Layla and Majnun. This 7th-century Arabic love story tells of an impossible love. A forbidden passion that leads to madness and alienation. Together with musicians from the AAO, Al Rawi brings a modern version of this centuries-old tale to the stage, combining hip-hop, street styles, and flamenco with live Arabo-Andalusian music. Majnun explores alienation not as a deficiency, but as a source of strength and imagination. At a time when cultural and social frameworks seem to be narrowing, Majnun invites audiences to break through the illusions and masks of identity and to find freedom in the elusive and the undefined.

The performance will premiere at Maas Theater in Rotterdam and will subsequently tour.

Amira al Rawi is a self-taught dancer and theatre maker with a background in hip-hop and street styles. She has been mentored by artists including Shailesh Bahoran, Leo Spreksel, and Merel Heering. Amira creates intimate performances in which she combines a unique range of dance styles. Her work is not only about breaking away from stereotypes, but also about creating a new reality that transcends and dismantles stigma. She draws from dance forms rooted in resistance and non-conformism, such as hip-hop all styles, waacking, and house dance. More recently, she has incorporated flamenco into her practice, further deepening her artistic language.

The Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra (AAO) was founded in 2011 in Amsterdam and has grown into an ensemble that effortlessly bridges tradition and innovation. Rooted in centuries-old Arabo-Andalusian music, enriched with folk music from the Maghreb and Eastern sharqi music, the orchestra has developed its own artistic signature — one that is both respectful of its heritage and curious about the future. The ensemble’s core consists of around twenty musicians, complemented by guest singers and composers from the Netherlands and abroad. In their work, they draw inspiration from styles that embrace experimentation and exchange, such as jazz, flamenco, and contemporary composition. In 2024, the Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest received the Cultuurfonds Prijs.

Maas theater en dans is the largest theatre and dance company for children, teenagers, and young adults in the Netherlands, with its own venue in Rotterdam. Deeply connected to the city, Maas develops distinctive productions in which theatre, dance, and performance intersect. The company collaborates with makers who work from movement, physicality, and the power of imagination, creating performances that are both highly physical and personally intimate. The productions of Maas place encounter, multiplicity of voices, and social engagement at their core. Their performances explore themes such as identity, inclusion, community, and the ways young people relate to the world around them. In doing so, Maas continuously pushes the boundaries between disciplines and styles, ranging from dance and mime to music, hip-hop, and site-specific theatre.