Restless, uprooted, in search of a void that no one can fill: Richard Wagner's powerful music invites us to question the driven characters of his opera with deep analysis. Director Martin G. Berger focuses on the enigmatic past of Senta, her father Daland and the Dutchman. He digs into the patriarchal structures in which the young woman, as daughter and wife, initially appears to be merely an object and from which she tries to fight her way out, now her own redeemer. Alexandre Corazzola's set design shows the surface of an idyllic family home and is transformed into a psychological space by Vincent Stephan's videos.

Soprano Dorothea Herbert, who recently caused a sensation as Senta in Prague, will be appearing in Wiesbaden for the first time. Anthony Clark Evans, one of the most sought-after Verdi baritones in the USA, makes his Wagner debut with the Dutchman. The production will be directed by Martin G. Berger, author and operetta specialist as well as experienced creator of innovative and socially reflective theater. In 2020, he received the prestigious German theater award DER FAUST in the category "Best Director Musical Theater" for "Ariadne auf Naxos" in Weimar. He was also awarded the German Musical Theater Prize and the Orpheus for special services to operetta.

Under the baton of General Music Director Leo McFall, "The Flying Dutchman" returns to the repertoire for the International May Festival with a gala cast: Vida Miknevičiūtė is not only captivating as Senta on the major international stages. With Johan Reuter as the Dutchman and Stephen Milling as Daland, two leading Wagner interpreters are coming to the Hessisches Staatstheater for the first time.