Das Kind der Seehundfrau

An opera for children based on an old Inuit tale

Das Kind der Seehundfrau, written by Sophie Kassies with music by Robyn Schulkowsky, tells the story of Oruc, a boy growing up between two worlds, and looks back at the unusual circumstances in which his parents met.

Set in the Arctic, the visual concept creates an imaginative rather than realistic interpretation of its setting. Stage and costumes share an almost entirely white palette, interrupted only by occasional shades of grey, black and pale brown. This reduced colour world evokes the coldness and vastness of the Arctic while creating a common visual ground for the story’s realistic and magical elements.

The human characters are approached through familiar, almost storybook-like silhouettes, while the more fantastical figures move beyond this everyday visual language. The shaman’s costume draws on cultural research while introducing more magical elements, whereas the Seal Woman appears in a shimmering, light-reflecting costume. Referenced within the story itself, this glittering quality emphasises her otherworldly nature and becomes a visual reminder of the world that separates mother and son.

Three live musicians are integrated directly into the scenic environment rather than separated from the action. Their presence becomes part of the visual world, bringing music, performers and space together within a shared stage image.