Overview

• During the curtain call of Il Trovatore on July 19, a cast member unfurled a Palestinian flag at the end of the opera’s 11-night run in Covent Garden.
• Video clips circulating online show a brief scuffle as staff tried to seize the flag from the performer onstage.
• A Royal Ballet and Opera spokesman said the action was spontaneous, unauthorised and at odds with the company’s political impartiality.
• As of July 20, the Opera House has issued no update on any disciplinary measures against the cast member.
• The widely shared footage has reignited debate over the limits of political expression at prominent cultural venues.