Grand theatre, Leeds
Annabel Arden’s introduction of refugees is thought-provoking and moving, while seasoned performances keep the metaphorical ships on course

Tales of the Flying Dutchman, a ghost ship cursed to sail the oceans for all eternity, date back to the 18th century, but the literary inspiration for Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer came from a retelling by Heinrich Heine, who added two elements the composer was drawn to repeatedly: a mysterious, wandering stranger and a woman whose love redeems him – in this case by sacrificing herself to free his soul from purgatory.

Or so the story goes. Annabel Arden’s new production for Opera North takes a different angle, drawing a parallel between the plight of the perpetually displaced crew and the terror and limbo faced by those who travel on small boats to seek asylum. It’s a thought-provoking idea: the voices of refugees heard before each act are incredibly moving, especially paired with Joanna Parker’s haunting video projections, and both the opening and closing scenes ask poignant questions about what happens when those accustomed to treating the dispossessed as statistics and case numbers are confronted by their humanity.