The diva and the dictator: opera at war
The Slow Newscast
Alice Sandelson
4.6 • 894 Ratings
🗓️ 2 September 2025
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Anna Netrebko was the biggest opera star in a generation. Since the war, due to past support for Vladimir Putin, she has effectively been boycotted by theatres around the world. Except, this autumn, she’ll be headlining the Royal Opera House’s new season.
Reporters: Vanessa Thorpe, Nina Kuryata and Lauren Crosby Medlicott
Producer: Jonathan Lewis
Artwork: Lola Williams
Sound design: Dominic Delargy
Editor: Matt Russell
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Transcript
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| 0:51.2 | The singers take the curtain call |
| 0:55.7 | after another summertime performance at the Royal Opera House. |
| 1:00.4 | The performers, singers and dancers alike, |
| 1:03.3 | bow to the packed auditorium. |
| 1:05.6 | Unremarkable, except one dancer standing at the back |
| 1:10.1 | unfurls a Palestine flag. |
| 1:12.7 | Oh my God. |
| 1:15.2 | Within seconds, a man in a dark suit tries to rip away the flag. |
| 1:19.7 | But the dancer, Daniel Perry, stands firm. |
| 1:24.3 | My act of resistance has been called inappropriate by the Royal Opera House. |
| 1:31.2 | We are lucky enough to have these platforms that reach huge audiences. |
... |
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