The Woman from the Sea - Bregenz State Theatre

Ellida Wangel: a woman trapped in the confines of a conventional life, driven by an unbridled, vague longing – a longing for something she cannot fully grasp or name. Time and again, the thoughts of the doctor's wife drift out to the water, to the wild ocean, to the open: to a past that will not let her go. Suffocated by the security and care of her husband, she finds herself haunted by the memory of an old love. A sailor, who once made her a promise, has returned after years. And Ellida reaches a turning point that could change her life and that of her family forever.

THE WOMAN FROM THE SEA poses questions of existential urgency. What does it mean to lead a self-determined life? How much freedom can a relationship endure? And can one ever fully break free from the past?

It is about autonomy, the right to forge one's own path, independent of societal expectations. Yet, while Ibsen's protagonists often engage in this struggle with defiance or open rebellion, Ellida's conflict is quieter, more internal. Her longing does not shout out loud; it grows and gradually takes up more space deep within her, day by day, pressing and inescapable.

A story of great emotional intensity. A story about the search for the self and individual freedom. A story about what remains when the waves settle – and about what continues to call out.