Rumi the Outsider

Following Rumi Passion, composer Osama Abdulrasol continues his exploration of the contemporary resonance of the work of the medieval Sufi mystic Rumi. In this dazzling music theatre production, music, dance and video art merge into a sensory and immersive experience.

Rumi’s life and work are shaped by his spiritual search for meaning. His words move between loss and ecstasy, between tradition and renewal. This tension forms the beating heart of Rumi the Outsider. The performance traces the path of a thinker who chose not resignation, but the restlessness of seeking. At its core lies the perspective of the outsider: someone who moves between worlds, never fully belonging in one place, yet able, precisely because of that, to forge new connections. In an age of growing polarization, Rumi the Outsider invites audiences to share that perspective.

Through hypnotic sounds, poetic imagery and expressive dance, Rumi the Outsider offers a contemporary tribute to Rumi’s timeless philosophy: that the search itself, however lonely it may sometimes be, can open a path towards a deeper encounter with others.

Osama Abdulrasol – composition, qanun, oud, guqin
Shahab Azinmehr – setar, vocals
Pelin Başar – ney, vocals
Mehmet Polat – oud, vocals
Damla Aydin – cello, vocals
François Taillefer – multi-percussion, vocals
Thomas Bellinck – direction
Nil Görkem – dance
Valeria Saija – dance

X New Worlds – video art
Thomas Bellinck – final direction
Laura Neyskens – choreography
Rida Habib Allah – costumes
Armin Mola – voice-over
Alexander Ronsse – lighting design