LONDON: The UK’s Royal Ballet and Opera has canceled a planned 2026 production of “Tosca” at the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, after nearly 200 members of staff signed a letter criticizing the organization’s ties to Israel amid the war in Gaza, it was reported on Monday.
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Company chief executive officer Alex Beard confirmed the decision in an internal message in which he acknowledged the letter and told staff: “We have made the decision that our new production of “Tosca” will not be going to Israel.”
A total of 182 members of the Royal Opera and Ballet, including dancers, musicians, singers and technical staff, signed the open letter on Friday denouncing the “recent actions and decisions taken by the RBO in the context of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
In particular, they condemned the recent hiring out of the organization’s “Turandot” production to the Israeli Opera for performances that took place last month, The Guardian newspaper reported on Monday.
