Video has shown what appears to have been a scuffle on stage at the Royal Opera House after a performer unfurled a Palestine flag. The incident occurred during the encore on Saturday, the closing night of an 11-night run of Il Trovatore—a four-act opera by Giuseppe Verdi—and video footage has since circulated online showing people backstage attempting to take the flag from the unidentified performer. The Royal Ballet and Opera have said that “the display of the flag was an unauthorised action by the artist”.
A spokesperson added: “It was not approved by the Royal Ballet and Opera and is a wholly inappropriate act.” One person, who claimed to have been a member of the audience, said on X: “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.”
Another on X on Saturday added: “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.”
“At the Royal Opera House, one of the cast unfurled a Palestinian flag at the encore,” a member of the audience told The Telegraph.
“Someone from the opera house/company then 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.”
In one of the videos, the audience could be heard applauding and cheering while the man was shaking the flag.
“Oh my god”, one person said as an individual attempted to take the flag from them.
It comes after a large number of performers showed their support for the people of Palestine amid the war in Gaza.
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 at Glastonbury, Kneecap and Bob Vylan faced an investigation into their sets by Avon and Somerset Police.
During Bob Vylan’s performance, the rapper, whose real name is thought to be Pascal Foster-Robinson, 34, chanted: “Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces].”
A member of Belfast rap group Kneecap joked that fans should “start a riot” outside his bandmate’s upcoming court appearance.
The investigation into Kneecap’s performance at the Somerset festival has since been dropped by police who said they would take “no further action” as there was “insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.