59, a Journey studio are working with Grammy Award-winning artist Sting on his renewed version of The Last Ship, the acclaimed musical first developed by Sting in 2011. Rooted in his own childhood in the British shipbuilding town of Wallsend, The Last Ship tells the moving story of a community of shipbuilders in the northeast of England, faced with the closure of their shipyard – the heart of their existence. Sting, playing the character of Jackie White, will perform through the full run of shows.
This reimagined production has been revised and redesigned under new direction by our very own Leo Warner. Alongside Leo’s direction, we are also leading the production design, giving us the opportunity for a wildly ambitious set meets video trompe l’oeil special design effect.
Being given the opportunity to work across both the physical set and video design has allowed us to work seamlessly on the overall show production, utilising designers from both our architectural and video design specialisms. Resultantly, we’ve created a set comprising visual illusions in which there’s no clear boundary between the physical and the virtual. For the audience, the stage becomes a living illusion, where the physical set dissolves effortlessly into the digital, creating a world that feels both real and infinite. With Leo leading the show’s direction, we have been able to push and test creative boundaries further and conceive the whole production as one.
Over the years, we’ve worked with Sting and producer Karl Sydow on a number of creative projects, including the previous rendition of the show. Reflecting our availability to consistently deliver impactful creative and maintain meaningful and long-lasting client and creative relationships, it’s a pleasure to once again be brought onto the project and work alongside Sting and Karl.
The show begins its tour at the Theatre Carre, Amsterdam, in January; the La Seine Musicale, Paris in February; and has the honour of opening the newly built Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane, in May. In June, the show will also perform a short run at the Metropolitan Opera New York, continuing our long-standing relationship with the institution.
Dates:
- La Carre Theatre, Amsterdam (14 January – 01 February 2026)
- Seine Musicale, Paris (24 February – 08 March 2026)
- The Glasshouse Theatre QPAC, Brisbane (11 April – 03 May 2026)
- The Metropolitan Opera, New York (09 June – 14 June)