Overview

• On July 19 during Il Trovatore’s final curtain call, a chorus member unfurled a Palestinian flag and resisted staff attempts to remove it.
• The Royal Ballet and Opera criticised the unauthorised display as wholly inappropriate and incompatible with its commitment to political impartiality.
• Officials have identified the performer as Daniel Perry, a London-based queer dance artist, choreographer and DJ with a record of pro-Palestinian activism.
• Formal disciplinary proceedings are now under consideration, though the company has not detailed specific sanctions or a timeline.
• The display follows a wave of performer-led pro-Palestinian actions at major arts events, highlighting tensions over artistic freedom and institutional neutrality.