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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- 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.'

Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
High Drama At London Event: New Video Shows Gaza Flag Being Pulled, But Artist Refuses To Yield
A chorus performer at London's Royal Opera House held up a Palestinian flag during the final curtain call of Verdi's Il Trovatore, triggering a brief onstage scuffle and drawing widespread attention online. While the act was silent and non-disruptive, the opera company swiftly condemned it as unauthorized and inappropriate. The incident comes amid rising pro-Palestinian expressions in the UK arts scene, including high-profile cases at Glastonbury involving controversial political statements and ongoing police investigations.#RoyalOperaHouse #IlTrovatore #PalestineFlag #LondonOperaProtest #FreePalestine #ProtestOnStage #PalestineSolidarity #OperaControversy #UKArtsProtest #GazaVoices Read More


National Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
Performer unfurls Palestinian flag during curtain call at Royal Opera House in London
A performer holding a Palestinian flag touched off a brief scuffle on stage at the Royal Opera House in London as cast members were taking their bows following the season's final performance of 'Il Trovatore.' Article content Images posted on social media show what appears to be a member of the chorus holding the unfurled flag in front of his chest while the lead singers bask in the audience's applause on Saturday night. Article content After a few moments, someone backstage tries to grab the flag, but the performer holds onto it and snaps back into place. Article content Article content 🎥 Performer unfurls Palestinian flag in Royal Opera House protest (Credit: sydcas/X) — The Telegraph (@Telegraph) July 20, 2025 Article content 'The display of the flag was an unauthorized action by the artist,' the opera company said in a statement on Sunday. 'It was not approved by the Royal Ballet and Opera and is a wholly inappropriate act.' Article content Article content 'Il Trovatore,' which translates as 'The Troubadour,' is an 1853 opera by the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. Director Adele Thomas' production reinterprets the story of desire and an all-consuming curse, the opera said. Article content

Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Al Arabiya
Scuffle on stage at London opera as performer unfurls Palestinian flag
London's Royal Opera House on Sunday condemned as 'wholly inappropriate' the actions of a performer who held up a Palestinian flag onstage at the end of a performance. Video footage posted online shows a brief scuffle at the edge of the stage as a figure dressed in a shirt and tie unsuccessfully attempts to stop the performer. A performer at the Royal Opera House unfurls a Palestinian flag during the curtain call of Saturday's performance of Il trovatore in Covent Garden, London Oliver Mears, Director of Opera at the Royal Opera House, tries to grab the flag from the performer He fails epically — Armchair Analyst (@ArmchairAn4lyst) July 20, 2025 The incident in the British capital on Saturday during the curtain call came on the closing night of an 11-night run of Il Trovatore, a four-act opera by Giuseppe Verdi. 'Extraordinary scenes at the Royal Opera House tonight,' a person who claimed to have been in the audience posted on X. 'During the curtain call for Il Trovatore one of the background artists came on stage waving a Palestine flag. Just stood there, no bowing or shouting. Someone off stage kept trying to take it off him. Incredible.' A spokesperson for the Royal Ballet and Opera in London's Covent Garden said the 'display of the flag was an unauthorized action by the artist.' The incident comes after numerous artists including Kneecap, Bob Vylan, Wolf Alice, and Amyl and The Sniffers offered messages of support for people in Gaza at this year's Glastonbury festival. Police are still investigating duo Bob Vylan, whose frontman led a chant against the Israeli army at the festival. Kneecap's Liam O'Hanna, known by his stage name Mo Chara, has also been charged with a 'terror' offence over alleged support for banned organizations Hamas and Hezbollah in connection with an earlier performance.


Sky News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Scuffle breaks out on stage of Royal Opera House after performer unfurls Palestinian flag
A brief scuffle broke out at London's Royal Opera House after a performer unfurled a Palestinian flag during a show. The incident took place during a performance of Il Trovatore on Saturday. During the final night of the 11-night run of the show, a performer held up the flag on stage. In video footage, shared online, someone backstage could be seen attempting to take it off the performer. The performer grabs it back following a brief scuffle. A spokesperson for the Royal Ballet and Opera said: "The display of the flag was an unauthorised action by the artist. "It was not approved by the Royal Ballet and Opera and is a wholly inappropriate act." The reaction to the flag was mixed, with some people heard applauding and cheering, while another audience member was heard saying "oh my God". One poster on X, who claimed to have been a member of the audience, said: "Extraordinary scenes at the Royal Opera House tonight. "During the curtain call for Il Trovatore one of the background artists came on stage waving a Palestine flag. Just stood there, no bowing or shouting. Someone off stage kept trying to take it off him. Incredible." Performers show support for Palestinians A number of performers have shown support for Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. During Glastonbury Festival, numerous acts offered messages of support during their sets, including Kneecap, Bob Vylan, Wolf Alice, and Amyl And The Sniffers. During her band's set, Wolf Alice singer Ellie Rowsell told the crowd at the Other Stage: "Whilst we have the stage for just a little bit longer, we want to express our solidarity with the people of Palestine. "No-one should ever be afraid to do that." Following their performances, both Kneecap and Bob Vylan faced investigation by Avon and Somerset Police. 2:06 Bob Vylan were widely criticised after leading on-stage chants of "death to the IDF" (Israel Defence Forces). The performance was live-streamed by the BBC, sparking a backlash against the broadcaster - which later issued an apology. The investigation into Kneecap was later dropped, with the police saying there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence".