Senta of Attention: Richard Laing watches as the good ship WNO bids farewell to its captain

Review of Der fliegende Holländer, directed Furness, conducted Hanus, Welsh National Opera, Milton Keynes Theatre, 2026.

November 2026, Volume 20, Number 3, 84–5.

A wealthy stranger arrives on a mysterious ship, doling out cash. All he wants in return is someone’s daughter. Executives at Welsh National Opera might be wishing they were in Daland’s well-travelled boots. Next season the company launches just two full-scale productions: like so many UK arts organisations, WNO is having to trim its sails drastically as the winds of austerity continue to howl. Yet much of this Dutchman – director Jack Furness’s first venture upon the Wagnerian ocean – impresses, even on a limited budget.