UK's Royal Ballet and Opera withdraws Tosca production in Tel Aviv
The internal announcement by the RBO chief executive, Alex Beard, was made after almost 200 Royal Opera and Ballet members signed an open letter criticising the organisation's stance on Gaza.
Beard acknowledged the 'open letter that has been circulating internally' and told staff: 'We have made the decision that our new production of Tosca will not be going to Israel.' The Israeli Opera website has dropped reference to the Royal Opera House.
The letter sent to Beard and the RBO board on Friday was signed by 182 RBO members including dancers, singers, musicians and staff across artistic, creative, technical and administrative departments. It is understood that 40 signatories signed with their names while the others signed anonymously because of fear of reprisals.
The members said they were deeply concerned about 'recent actions and decisions taken by the RBO in the context of the ongoing genocide in Gaza'.
In particular, the signatories highlighted the RBO's recent hiring out of its production of Turandot to the Israeli Opera. 'The decision cannot be viewed as neutral,' they said. 'It is a deliberate alignment, materially and symbolically, with a government currently engaged in crimes against humanity.
'The venue itself, the Israeli Opera, publicly offers free tickets to soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces 'in recognition of their work', as stated on their website. The RBO is clearly making a strong political statement by allowing its production and intellectual property to be presented in a space that openly rewards and legitimises the very forces responsible for the daily killings of civilians in Gaza.'
They said they rejected 'any current or future performances in Israel' and demanded the organisation 'withholds our productions from institutions that legitimise and economically support a state engaged in the mass killing of civilians'.
Production hires mean sets, props and costumes are rented out to another opera house. Preparations for Turandot were taking place when the Israel-Iran war broke out, and rehearsals were held in bomb shelters. The Guardian understands at least one performer decided to leave the production and sought therapy because of this.
The signatories also expressed solidarity with Daniel Perry, the performer who raised the Palestinian flag in 'an act of courage and moral clarity on our very stage' on 19 July.
They condemned what they called 'extremely poor judgment' by RBO's director of opera, Oliver Mears, who 'we witnessed attempting to forcibly snatch the flag from the performer, displaying visible anger and aggression in front of the entire audience'.
Perry later said Mears told him he would 'never work for the Opera House ever again'.
The signatories called for Mears 'to be held accountable for his public display of aggression' and said the act, 'far from being a neutral administrative intervention, was itself a loud political statement. It sent a clear message that any visible solidarity with Palestine would be met with hostility.'
The letter highlighted the role the arts had historically played during times of crisis, and cited the RBO's swiftness to stand in solidarity with Ukraine after Russia's invasion.
It said: 'We organised Concerts for Ukraine, we played the Ukrainian national anthem before performances, and we publicly displayed the Ukrainian flag as a gesture of solidarity with its people. We understood then that silence was unacceptable. Why is it different now? … The double standard is deafening.'
Organisers of the letter said years spent working to change public perceptions of the RBO to make it more inclusive and accessible were 'threatened by recent choices'.
The RBO confirmed to the Guardian that Tosca would not go to the Israeli Opera. Beard said: 'I am appalled by the crisis in Gaza and recognise the deep emotional impact this has had across our community and wider society. On this issue, we acknowledge and respect the full range of views held by our staff, artists and audiences.
'The events at the curtain call on 19 July were without precedent. We have reflected carefully and reviewed our internal protocols. We always endeavour to act with integrity and compassion. We want our stage to remain a space for shared cultural appreciation, free from individual political statements.
'Our support for Ukraine was aligned with the global consensus at the time. As the world's geopolitics have become more complex, our stance has changed to ensure that our actions reflect our purpose and values.'
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