[3] He took acting lessons with Will Quadflieg and then worked as an assistant to theatre directors such as Leopold Lindtberg and Hans Hollmann.

In 1979 Hesse became a member of the directing team at the recently opened new Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus (theatre)[2] where his productions included Graser's "Widow burning" (1980), Lessing's "Nathan the Wise" (1983) and "Henry, or the Pain of Fantasy" (1985) by Tankred Dorst.

After 1985 there followed a period of freelance directing, taking in, among other venues, the Bavarian National Theatre in Munich and the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin.

Hesse's original production of "Sekten" (1995) and Top Dogs [de] (1997) were invited to be part of the Berliner Theatertreffen drama festival.

In 2001 he took over as "Intendant" (director) at the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin, holding the appointment till the end of the 2006 season.