MEDIATHEK

The story of Joseph/Yusuf is found in the Torah, the Old Testament, and the Koran. Banished by his brothers, Yusuf arrives in Egypt as a slave. He earns the trust and affection of his master, Egypt‘s vizier, which soon after is jeopardised once his master’s wife, Zulaikha, casts her eyes upon him. The story speaks powerfully to the experience of foreignness, and of a forbidden love that threatens the social and religious systems.
 
 The production follows the 15th-century Sufi poet Jami's interpretation of the pre-religious story of Yusuf and Zulaikha. Their love for each other represents a true love, as opposed to the status marriage of Zulaikha with her husband Potifar, Yusuf's Master. Her love, breaking social boundaries and norms, is understood as a search for God.
 
 The international ensemble of SINAI Orchestral Theatre in Berlin unfolds the story through a rich stage language inspired by Sufi interpretations and practices, combining songs, spoken verse, and intense physicality. The dramatic text for "Yusuf's" was written especially for this production in verse and prose form in English. The music and songs merge oriental Sufi music of the Middle East with the polyphony of Christian church music.