Oliver Mears, the Royal Opera House's director of opera, has defended his attempt to forcibly take a Palestinian flag from a dancer during a curtain call last month, 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’ actions, accusing him of “extremely poor judgment” and “displaying visible anger and aggression in front of the entire audience”. The signatories, including dancers, singers, and musicians, called for Mears to be held accountable, stating that his act “was itself a loud political statement”.
Video footage showed Mears and dancer Daniel Perry wrestling with the flag at the edge of the stage. Perry later claimed Mears told him he would “never work for the Opera House ever again”. In his email, Mears said he had reflected on the incident and that the “right thing to do” was still unclear to him.
The controversy comes after the Royal Opera House announced it had pulled its 2026 production of Tosca at the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, citing safety concerns for company members. Chief executive Alex Beard emphasised that the decision was “not a political statement against Israel” but a pragmatic one.
Members 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, including concerts and displaying the Ukrainian flag.
Mears acknowledged the strong feelings about Gaza, stating he was “sick to my stomach by the images and reports coming out of Gaza”. However, he maintained that a curtain call is not the appropriate time for a personal political protest.
