Review: The Flying Dutchman at LOWRY is ‘haunting modern take on Wagner’s tale of exile and redemption’

In this striking new adaptation of The Flying Dutchman, Opera North once again proves that it is a company unafraid to tackle the big questions, reimagining Wagner’s tale of exile, longing, and redemption through a contemporary lens that speaks to our current moment.

Director Annabel Arden and designer Joanna Parker set Wagner’s mythic world within the cold, bureaucratic confines of a Home Office, a sharp and unsettling choice that draws clear parallels between the Dutchman’s eternal wandering and the plight of modern refugees seeking sanctuary.

Parker’s sparse, elegant set evokes both the vastness of a storm-tossed sea and the sterile, impersonal spaces of officialdom. Against this backdrop, the story unfolds with chilling relevance.

The Flying Dutchman by Opera North at LOWRY

Robert Hayward, as the Dutchman, delivers a truly towering performance. His voice is rich and commanding, capturing the full weight of the Dutchman’s torment. Hayward’s physicality on stage is extraordinary. His Dutchman is a man unravelling, consumed by the hopelessness of his endless search for home. It is a performance that is both haunting and deeply moving, offering a portrait of despair that feels painfully real.

Layla Claire as Senta

Making her Opera North debut, Layla Claire is equally arresting as Senta. Her soprano is controlled, luminous, and beautifully expressive. Claire brings an inner strength to Senta, who emerges here not as a passive figure but as a woman with fierce compassion and determination. Her chemistry with Hayward is powerful, and their scenes together crackle with tension and emotion. Claire makes Senta’s doomed attempt to break the Dutchman’s curse feel painfully immediate and human.

Clive Bayley, as Daland, is exceptional: playful, sharp, and utterly convincing in his reimagined role as the opportunistic Home Secretary. His bass voice is authoritative and clear, and his portrayal brings a dark wit to the role, highlighting Daland’s mercenary motives with subtlety and skill. There’s also a lot of humour imbued in his facial expressions and gestures, which all add to the fun.

Edgaras Montvidas, in the dual role of Erik and the Steersman, gives a memorable and nuanced performance. His ringing tenor adds warmth and vulnerability to the production, and his portrayal of a conflicted junior minister adds further layers to the opera’s exploration of power, duty, and personal cost.

The Chorus of Opera North is, as always, superb. Their sound full and unified, providing moments of awe-inspiring intensity. From ghostly echoes to rousing ensemble scenes, they give voice to the opera’s undercurrents of fear, longing, and sorrow.

Garry Walker – Director

Under Garry Walker’s expert direction, the Opera North orchestra brings Wagner’s stormy score vividly to life. Walker’s interpretation is sweeping and dramatic but also sensitive to the opera’s quieter, more introspective moments. Together, the musicians and singers create a soundscape that is both thrilling and achingly beautiful, a constant reminder of the opera’s emotional depths.

Yet while the performances are unquestionably powerful, the production’s attempt to link Wagner’s story directly to contemporary refugee struggles feels, at times, uneven. The recorded voices of refugees heard between scenes are deeply moving and give important context to the piece, but as the opera progresses, these connections become more tenuous. The modern parallels are most compelling in the opening scenes but seem to drift as the opera’s focus returns to the doomed romance between Senta and the Dutchman.

Still, even if the refugee theme doesn’t always land with full impact, Opera North’s commitment to exploring it and being a Theatre of Sanctuary is laudable. This production may not have tied every element together perfectly, but it offers a vital reminder that opera can and should engage with the world around it.

It’s another great production from Opera North,  a company that continues to challenge itself and its audiences. Through extraordinary performances, bold staging, and a willingness to ask difficult questions, Opera North once again pushes opera forward in the North of England, making it an art form that speaks to today’s world.

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