Photos have been released of the new production The Last Ship, written by and starring Sting.
The show premieres tonight, 14 January 2026, at The Royal Theatre Carré in Amsterdam.
Pop star Sting has revised and written new songs for the show, expanding on his original, Tony Award–nominated score, including Island of Souls, All This Time and When We Dance.
The Last Ship features a new book by Barney Norris, and is directed by Leo Warner.
Sting stars as Jackie White in the musical drama, alongside a company of 48 artists, musicians, and choristers.
Following Amsterdam, the production will move to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York from 9 to 14 June 2026, where Sting will be joined by Reggae icon and longtime collaborator Shaggy as the Ferryman.
The show will also play Paris and Brisbane. There’s currently no news about London dates.
Photos: The Last Ship (Amsterdam)
The creative team also features set and video design by 59 Studio (Jenny Melville, Matt Taylor, and Ben Pearcy), choreography by Rebecca Howell, costume design by Loren Elstein, lighting design by Adam Bassett, and sound design by Tom Gibbons.
The Last Ship is rooted in Sting’s own childhood in the British shipbuilding town of Wallsend, and tells the story of a community of shipbuilders in the northeast of England faced with the closure of their shipyard — the heart of their existence.
In the show, Jackie White (Sting) is the shipyard’s foreman, whose health is failing just as his leadership is needed most. In this personal show, the artist immerses the audience in a hometown he was desperate to escape, a world where love, loss, and hope intertwine.
Sting said in a statement: “I grew up in the shadow of a shipyard, watching thousands of men walk past my front door every morning to work there, and imagining that would be my destiny too. I dreamed of escaping – and I succeeded, traveling far and earning my living on some the world’s greatest stages — including the Metropolitan Opera House in 2010. But the further I got, the more that shipyard called to me. The Last Ship is my tribute to the people and the place that shaped me. Bringing it to the Met feels like a full-circle moment.”
Sting released The Last Ship (Expanded Edition), an extended version of his acclaimed album featuring five new recordings, on 5 December 2025.
The Last Ship is produced by Karl Sydow (Dirty Dancing On Stage).
The Last Ship News
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Sting in The Last Ship
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