Michel van der Aa: Theory of Flames staged in Amsterdam

(January 2026)

Dutch National Opera presents the world premiere of Michel van der Aa’s film opera, Theory of Flames, opening in Amsterdam on 6 March for a run of five performances. The full evening film opera sees the composer further exploring the integration of live music and theatre with state-of-the-art video and sound technology, following such ground-breaking stageworks as After Life, Sunken Garden, Blank Out, Upload and The Book of Water.

Theory of Flames is scored for three singers on stage, a film with one singer, choir and 12 actors, live chamber orchestra and soundtrack. Elena Schwarz conducts the five performances at the Muziektheater with the Residentie Orkest and a cast including Mary Bevan and Aphrodite Patoulidou sharing the lead role of Neola, joined by Helen Charlston, Roderick Williams and Julia Bullock (on film). Performances in Amsterdam are presented as part of the Opera Forward Festival in its 10th anniversary year, from 6 to 22 March at Dutch National Opera & Ballet.

The new 95-minute opera is a commission and co-production of Dutch National Opera, The Norwegian National Opera, the Bregenz Festival, and the doubleA Foundation, with support of Ammodo, Gieskes-Strijbis Fonds, Simac, PixReal, Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, and Fonds podiumkunsten.

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Michel van der Aa’s new stagework examines one of the most urgent questions of our time: how do we process information in an era when truth becomes increasingly elusive? The opera arrives at a crucial moment, as disinformation has become a daily reality, and influential figures reach millions of people through social media with conspiracy theories and disinformation.

Theory of Flames translates this societal challenge into a personal story. The opera poses fundamental questions: How do we maintain meaningful relationships with people whose reality radically differs from our own? What happens when facts become a matter of belief rather than evidence? Do we have the right to choose our own version of truth, even if it separates us from those we love?

At the centre of this work is Neola, a director creating a science fiction film about a research project that ended in a devastating laboratory fire. As she investigates further, her research leads her down unexpected paths where alternative explanations begin to reshape her perspective. Her growing obsession with these discoveries creates distance between her and those closest to her – partner Marianne and friend Josh – who struggle to understand her changing worldview.

“The opera explores how differing perceptions of truth can create profound barriers between people who care deeply for one another,” explains Van der Aa. “It asks us to consider what happens when our fundamental understanding of reality no longer aligns with those we love.”

The day before the curtain goes up on Theory of Flames, Michel van der Aa’s award-winning VR installation From Dust receives its Belgian premiere at the Bozar in Brussels. The installation runs from 5-19 March with available timeslots to be booked from 10.00 to 18.00. The presentation in Brussels follows those at De Doelen in Rotterdam, the Cannes Festival where From Dust won the Immersive Competition, the Holland Festival in Amsterdam and the Geneva International Film Festival.

Michel van der Aa
Theory of Flames (2024-25)
6 March 2026 (world premiere)
8/12/14/22 March 2026
Muziektheater, Amsterdam

Stage and film direction: Michel van der Aa
Set and lighting design: Theun Mosk

Mary Bevan / Aphrodite Patoulidou /
Helen Charlston / Roderick Williams /
Julia Bullock (on film) /
Dutch National Opera and Chorus/
Residentie Orkest/Elena Schwarz

>  Further information on Work: Theory of Flames

Photo: Julia Bullock in the film for Theory of Flames (credit: Joost Rietdijk)

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