Beware the ship black as night, the sails red as blood! So begins the tale of The Flying Dutchman. The folklore of the captain doomed to sail the seas for all eternity goes back centuries and there are myriad versions and variations of the tale, but nearly all of them maintain certain basic tenants: the boastful captain, the wager with the devil and the final punishment of sailing the seas forever. Beginning with Wagner's famous opera on the subject, the element of salvation through the love of a woman was introduced to the folklore and that concept has become the bedrock of most versions since. That concept is the one that continues to intrigue and delight audiences the world over, because, while most of us will never know the thrills of piracy on the high seas or the tortures of the damned; salvation though love is an idea and an ideal that we can relate and aspire to. Ultimately, it ís that idea that allows us to accept the unacceptable and believe the unbelievable.The legend of The Flying Dutchman is said to have started in 1641 when a Dutch ship sank off the coast of the Cape of Good Hope:

Captain Van der Decker was pleased. The trip to the Far East had been highly successful and at last, they were on their way home to Holland. As the ship approached the tip of Africa, the captain thought that he should make a suggestion to the Dutch East India Company (his employers) to start a settlement at the Cape on the tip of Africa, thereby providing a welcome respite to ships at sea.

He was so deep in thought that he failed to notice the dark clouds looming and only when he heard the lookout scream out in terror, did he realize that they had sailed straight into a fierce storm. The captain and his crew battled for hours to get out of the storm and at one stage it looked like they would make it. Then they heard a sickening crunch - the ship had hit treacherous rocks and began to sink. As the ship plunged downwards, Captain Van der Decker knew that death was approaching. He was not ready to die and screamed out a curse: "I WILL round this Cape even if I have to keep sailing until doomsday!"

So, even today whenever a storm brews off the Cape of Good Hope, if you look into the eye of the storm, you will be able to see the ship and its captain - The Flying Dutchman. But don't look too carefully, for the old folk claim that whoever sights the ship will die a terrible death. Luckily, no such danger lies in store for those who see The Flying Dutchman the musical.