It is anchors aweigh when Wagner’s storm-tossed opera draws you deep into the beautiful, grim and secluded world of the imagination

Wagner’s operatic retelling of the myth of The Flying Dutchman is a must-see for both new and hardcore fans of the German composer. Renowned director Jonathan Kent’s interpretation of the story of failure, loss and longing to find oneself premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in the 2013/14 season and now returns.

The neglected young girl Senta leads an unhappy life. In her imagination, she conjures up a mythic sea captain in an attempt to escape from her drab daily existence. But her fascination with the enchanted dream world gradually becomes a destructive obsession.

For centuries the legend of the ghost ship “The Flying Dutchman” has been one of the most enduring nautical tales among sailors, for whom the spectral vessel is an omen of death, storm and shipwreck. Richard Wagner was inspired to explore the myth in 1839 while fleeing his creditors across the stormy seas, finally taking refuge among the fjords of the Norwegian coast. The result of his ruminations was an opera about the human quest for deliverance from life’s storms. 

This revival of The Flying Dutchman showcases three Danish international names in the cast: Johan Reuter as the Dutchman, Stephen Milling as Daland and Ann Petersen as Senta.