Captain Morten on the Ship of Fools

Ballet by Helen Veidebaum to the music of Kaspar Jancis and Malle Maltis after Kaspar Jancis’ eponymous children’s story
World premiere in the Estonian National Opera on November 27, 2026

Approx. running time:
Recommended age: children

Choreographer: Helen Veidebaum
Composer: Kaspar Jancis
Composer and Arranger: Malle Maltis
Librettist: Helen Veidebaum
Music Director and Conductor: Lauri Sirp
Conductors: Martin Trudnikov, Jaan Ots
Designer: Kaspar Jancis

“Captain Morten on the Ship of Fools” is a whimsical, warm-hearted fairy-tale voyage into a boy’s imagination. The story begins at home, where Morten rummages through his father’s seafaring gear and dreams of adventures. Before setting sail, his father fashions a ship from his own shoe – and the journey can begin! Fantasy blends with reality, and Morten escapes aboard his father’s gifted vessel. Along the way he encounters playful characters, fearsome sailors, a spellbinding magician, and the irresistible lure of jam-filled doughnuts. At the story’s climax he rescues Elise, transformed into a butterfly, and realises that the true captain has been within him all along. This production fuses music, dance, and the magic of visual theatre to celebrate the boundless power of imagination.