The Guardian reports that a performance at London’s Royal Opera House ended in unexpected controversy Saturday night when a cast member unfurled a Palestinian flag during the final curtain call of Il Trovatore.
The flag was displayed during the encore of Verdi’s opera, prompting immediate attempts by a Royal Opera House staff member to remove it. However, the cast member resisted and managed to keep hold of the flag in a brief but visible struggle on stage.
“A cast member unfurled a Palestinian flag during the encore,” one audience member told The Telegraph. “Someone from the company came on stage to take it away, but the performer wrestled it back and refused to let go.”
Social media posts from audience members described the incident as “extraordinary.” One user tweeted: “During the curtain call for Il Trovatore, one of the background artists came on waving a Palestine flag. Just stood there, no bowing or shouting. Someone off stage kept trying to take it off him. Incredible.”
Another spectator, Stephen Ratcliffe, tweeted: “Controversy at the end of Trovatore tonight when an extra or 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.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Royal Opera House 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.”
Footage posted online shows a man, believed to be a Royal Opera House staffer, stepping out from the wings and attempting to grab the flag from the performer. The protester pulls it back and continues holding it aloft as fellow cast members at the front of the stage take their final bows, seemingly unaware of the commotion behind them.
Two other performers near the protester appear startled during the incident, while others further forward remain focused on the audience. Staff in the wings can be seen shouting toward the stage, though the cast member continues to face forward, ignoring the intervention.
The protest took place on the final night of an 11-performance run of Il Trovatore, Giuseppe Verdi’s four-act opera exploring themes of love, revenge, and fate. The work centers on the intertwined lives of four characters — Manrico, Azucena, Leonora, and Count di Luna — whose secrets and past grievances lead to tragic consequences.
The Royal Opera House has not confirmed whether disciplinary action will be taken against the performer involved.