She grows up among tiled front gardens and carefully trimmed hedges. He comes from dusty roads where the sun burns on your skin and everyone knows each other. In the big city, their paths cross and the dance between two worlds begins.

After the success of De dood van Benny Simons, director Shady El‑Hamus and writer Ashgan El‑Hamus return with Een tijd van liefde: an energetic, compelling love story about two people who differ more than they would like to admit. What happens when falling in love collides with background, family and the spirit of the times? Can two worlds come together, but also stay together?

Een tijd van liefde begins where it hurts: at the end. From there they swing back in time, to the 1990s. From low points to high points, and from indifference to curiosity. Alongside the love story of a Dutch woman and a North African man, Een tijd van liefde also reflects on the recent migration history of the Netherlands. How do we remain interested in each other’s differences, when these seem greater than the similarities?

A simmering mix of Arabic and Western music pulses through Een tijd van liefde. The compositions by Yasper Molle (De dood van Benny Simons) form the beating musical heart. Together with a live band, performers including Dwight Breinburg (Café 749, De Grote Ricardo) and the actors create an organic, rousing sound of love.

• text Ashgan El-Hamus & Shady El-Hamus direction Shady El-Hamus performance & music Shahine El-Hamus & Ntianu Stuger