Pretty Yende on the raw power of music: ‘opera is literally soul food'
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Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
Palestine protester ‘banned from performing at Royal Opera House'
In an interview with Novara Media, a Left-wing outlet, Perry claimed: 'Oliver Mears came and said to me, very aggressively, 'You will never work for the Opera House ever again.' I responded, 'I don't give a flying f---.'' Perry had been hired as a freelance by the Royal Opera House, which said the protest was unauthorised and undermined its position of political impartiality. The dancer explained the protests, saying: 'I chose to do my demonstration during my curtain call, a moment for myself. I chose to make it about something bigger than me.' Perry reasoned that opera audiences are 'the ones with power and influence to be able to help' civilians suffering in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Performer complains of media 'mockery' The dancer also complained that the Right-wing media are 'trying to make a mockery of me'. After the protest, The Telegraph identified Perry as the person responsible and that the performer was a DJ and 'queer dance artist' who prefers they/them pronouns. They were educated at the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire, which charges up to £16,000 per term for boarding. Other former pupils include Dame Julie Andrews and Daisy Ridley, the Star Wars actress. Tank top protest at musical Perry recently wore a tank top with the slogan 'Free Palestine' to a London performance of Cabaret, which is set in Berlin during the rise of the Nazis in the early 1930s. In a social media post about the show, Perry wrote: 'In this particular version, we are reminded of how regimental political systems, such as extreme nationalism, and fascism, oppress and eradicate individualism, whilst also segregating people leaving them voiceless, expressionless and helplessly in control by their oppressors. 'I believe we are currently living in similar times.'
Reuters
4 days ago
- Reuters
National Ballet of Japan set to make UK debut with 'Giselle'
LONDON, July 22, 2025 - The National Ballet of Japan is set to perform in Britain for the first time on Thursday when artistic director Miyako Yoshida's production of "Giselle" opens at the Royal Opera House in London. First performed in 1841, "Giselle" tells the love story of a young peasant girl deceived by a nobleman. The London show runs from July 24 to July 27. Born in Japan in 1965, Yoshida came to Britain as a 17-year-old ballet student, going on to make her name there in the 1980s and eventually dance with The Royal Ballet. Since 2020 she has been in charge at The National Ballet of Japan, also known as the New National Theatre Ballet, Tokyo. "Coming back to London, it's always nice, but bringing the company with me is so special," Yoshida said of the ballet ensemble, which formed in 1997 and has 75 dancers.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Pro-Palestine protester who staged demonstration at Royal Opera House during curtain call is 'queer dance artist' who attended £48k-a-year school
A pro-Palestine protester who caused a scene at the end of a Royal Opera House performance has been reportedly identified as a self-described 'queer dance artist'. Daniel Perry, a privately educated performer who attended the £16,000-per-term Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, has worked as a dancer since 2013, according to an online biography. The artist - who uses 'they/them' pronouns - caused a scene during the curtain call of Il Trovatore on Saturday as they unfurled the Palestine flag on stage. Perry could be seen resisting a furious attempt by a man identified as Royal Opera director Oliver Mears to yank the flag out of their hands. They pull the flag back towards them, sending Mr Mears stumbling, as Perry's fellow performers awkwardly side-step out of the way of the carnage. The protesting performer then stands with the flag as - in video seen from another angle - a woman appears to remonstrate with them from behind a curtain. Self-described as a 'queer dance artist', Perry has privatised their social media accounts, one of which features the transgender, pride and Palestinian flags alongside a watermelon emoji - a symbol of pro-Palestine protest. A post earlier this month seen by MailOnline showed them standing outside the musical Cabaret in London's Charing Cross in a vest daubed with the slogan 'Free Palestine'. In the caption, they compared the events of the play - which charts the rise of the Nazi party in Germany through the lens of a Berlin cabaret club - to current events. They previously performed as a dancer in an earlier run of the play alongside Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley, as well as West End productions of Mary Poppins and Carousel, according to a biography. An online CV suggests they also worked on a number of cruise lines as a dancer, and appeared in a straight-to-DVD gangster film and a TV advert for crisps. 'I decided to make this top and wear it as a reminder to myself, and to those around me, of the themes of the show and its relevance to our current times,' they wrote. 'I am so disappointed in an industry that I have worked in for over 10 years. Where is your support for those who need our help?' They also called for a boycott of Coca-Cola, which has been a target of the so-called 'boycott, divest, sanctions' movement targeting businesses that continue to trade with Israel amid its war with Hamas in Gaza. Perry is reported by The Telegraph to have been hired as a freelancer for the Royal Opera's latest run of Il Trovatore - a four-part opera composed by Verdi - which ended on Saturday night. A witness said the dancer unfurled a Palestinian flag during the opera's curtain call. They said: 'Someone from the opera house/company came on stage from the wings to try to remove the flag from the cast member who wrestled it back and refused to give it up during Il trovatore.' It remains unknown whether they have been reprimanded for their on-stage protest. The Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire charges up to £16,000 per term for boarding, or around £48,000 a year. Its alumni include Dame Julie Andrews and Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley. Perry has called for a boycott of businesses that continue to trade with Israel such as Coca-Cola, and compared the events of Cabaret to current events in Gaza Opera fan Stephen Ratcliffe, who was also watching the production, on X added: 'Controversy at end of Trovatore @rbo_org tonight when an extra/chorus member unfurled a Palestinian flag. 'Off stage manager tried to grapple with him but he held his ground. Bet he won't be working there again.' Royal Ballet and Opera - which counts the King as its patron - says the protest was 'spontaneous and unauthorised' and was 'not in line with our commitment to political impartiality'. It has previously staged concerts in solidarity with Ukraine, featuring performers who fled to Britain in the wake of Russia's 2022 invasion. A spokesman said: 'The display of the flag was spontaneous and unauthorised action by the artist. 'It was not approved by the Royal Ballet and Opera and is not in line with our commitment to political impartiality.'
