Oliver Mears, director of opera at the Royal Opera House, has defended his attempt to remove a Palestinian flag from a dancer during a curtain call, describing the incident as a “messy and unhappy situation”. In an internal email to staff, Mears said he acted to prevent a “precedent of a public and individual protest during a show”.
Nearly 200 Royal Ballet and Opera members signed an open letter criticising Mears for “extremely poor judgment” and “visible anger and aggression”. The dancer, Daniel Perry, claimed Mears told him he would “never work for the Opera House ever again”.
Mears said he had reflected on the “right thing to do” and still found the answer unclear. He added that he shared strong feelings about Gaza, stating he was “sick to my stomach by the images and reports”, but maintained that a curtain call was not the time for personal protest.
The incident comes amid wider tensions at the Royal Opera House over its stance on Israel. The organisation recently pulled its 2026 production of Tosca at the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, citing safety concerns. Chief executive Alex Beard emphasised this was “not a political statement against Israel” but a “pragmatic decision”.
Staff had also criticised the RBO for hiring out its production of Turandot to the Israeli Opera, which offered free tickets to Israel Defense Forces soldiers. The open letter highlighted a perceived double standard, noting the RBO’s swift solidarity with Ukraine after Russia’s invasion.
