Story of stranded humpback whale Timmy to become a stage performance

The unusual tale of Timmy, a humpback whale that stranded off the Danish island of Anholt in mid-May, is set to become a stage production. German director Alexander Klessinger will bring the story to life at the Ernst Deutsch Theater in Hamburg.

Klessinger described the upcoming performance as a "mix of performance, concert, mass, and public self-examination." He questioned the intense public reaction to the whale's fate, noting the "millions of people followed its fate. There is hope, debate, grief, demonstrations, and discussions - but why, actually?"

The whale, nicknamed Timmy by German media, had repeatedly stranded near the German Baltic Sea coast in March. Despite efforts by German authorities to rescue it, a group of private citizens intervened. They raised funds for a rescue operation, which involved lifting Timmy onto a barge and transporting it through Danish waters to be released in Skagerrak. The hope was that the whale would recover and find its way to the North Sea.

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Millions of people followed its fate. There is hope, debate, grief, demonstrations, and discussions - but why, actually?