Moby Dick is the final fully directed original music theatre production by legendary director Robert Wilson, created with Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus. Making its Asian premiere in Shanghai, the production reimagines Herman Melville's classic through Wilson's signature visual language, with an original score by British musician Anna Calvi.

About the Show

Moby Dick is Robert Wilson's final fully directed original music theatre production, created by Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus. Following their acclaimed collaboration on The Sandman, Wilson reunites with British singer-songwriter and composer Anna Calvi for a new interpretation inspired by Herman Melville's classic novel.

The production follows Captain Ahab, whose obsession with revenge drives him to pursue the white whale that took his leg. Rather than presenting the story through conventional narrative, Wilson transforms the novel into a sequence of striking theatrical images.

More than a dozen performers bring the story to life within Wilson's signature visual style. Minimal black-and-white geometry, sculptural movement, shadow-play compositions, and carefully crafted lighting combine to create a theatrical world where imagery, sound, and performance take centre stage.

Making its Asian premiere in Shanghai, the production is presented as Wilson's final original stage work and a culmination of the visual language he developed over more than five decades.

Cast & Creatives

Robert Wilson

Director

Robert Wilson was one of the most influential theatre directors and visual artists of the past century. Known for his distinctive use of light, minimalist stage compositions, and sculptural movement, he reshaped contemporary theatre through landmark productions including Deafman Glance and Einstein on the Beach. Moby Dick is his final fully directed original music theatre production.

Anna Calvi

Composer

British singer-songwriter and guitarist Anna Calvi is known for her distinctive voice, operatic vocal style, and expressive guitar playing. A three-time Mercury Prize nominee, she has also composed for television, including the fifth and sixth seasons of Peaky Blinders. After collaborating with Wilson on The Sandman, she reunited with him to compose the music for Moby Dick.

Why It's Worth Seeing

Moby Dick marks the Asian premiere of Robert Wilson's final original stage production. Created with Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus and featuring an original score by Anna Calvi, the production combines theatre, music, lighting, and visual design to present a new interpretation of Herman Melville's novel through Wilson's distinctive theatrical style.