Cornish open-air theatre cancels opera after just single complaint from campaigner over cultural insensitivity

An open-air theater in Cornwall has canceled an opera following a single complaint from a campaigner for cultural insensitivity.

The Minack Theater in the seaside village of Porthcurno has recalled its production of Léo Delibes’ Lakmé after US-based Hindu campaigner Rajan Zed labeled the show a ‘shallow exoticism based on prejudice’.

Mr Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, described the theatre’s decision to host the Surrey Opera production as ‘highly irresponsible’ given alleged cultural sensitivities regarding French opera.

He argued that the opera displayed ‘orientalist attitudes’ and was a ‘flagrant disdain’ of a civilisation, and said the Minack Theater should not encourage ‘appropriation of traditions, elements and concepts of the ‘other”.

The three-act opera, first staged in 1883, tells the story of the daughter of the Hindu priest Lakmé who enters into a forbidden love affair with a British officer named Gérald.

The game was originally scheduled to be played from September 7 to 11.

A spokesman for Minack Theater said they ‘had concerns from the very beginning’ about the selection of the play, but said they ‘understood and accepted’ Mr Zed’s concerns about the play.

They said: ‘The opera includes two well-known arias, the Bell Song and the Flower Duet, which are often performed in classical concerts but were composed in 1883, reflecting the colonial and social attitudes prevalent in Europe at the time.

A spokesman for Minack Theater (pictured) said they had “concerns from the very beginning” about the play but said they “understood and accepted” Mr Zed’s concerns about it.

‘Therefore, we had concerns from the outset about their choice and before Mr Zed contacted us we had been discussing with Surrey Opera about how they would address these issues in their production.

‘They later withdrew the opera and Mr Zed was informed about it.

‘Minack is an inclusive place that welcomes people from all cultures and beliefs. We do not condone racial or religious intolerance or misrepresentation of any kind.

‘We understand and acknowledge Mr Zed’s legitimate concerns and are pleased to have been able to resolve this matter.’

Ahead of the production, Minack Theater issued trigger warnings on its website stating that the opera contained themes of ‘cultural bias’ and ‘stereotypical or negative depictions of people/cultures’.

But Mr Zed welcomed the decision to halt the show, reiterating that the opera ‘trivialised’ Hinduism and other religions.

He said he had been in contact with the theatre’s director, Rebecca Thomas, who was said to agree that there were ‘some outdated references and cultural sensitivities’ in ‘older’ theater productions.

Mr Zed then demanded an apology from Surrey Opera, based in Croydon, south London, and suggested it give its chairman and artistic director ‘cultural sensitivity training’.

He said Surrey Opera should have shown “some maturity” before casting Lakmé, which he claimed “caricatured the West’s Eastern heritage and promoted ethnic stereotypes”.

He then went on to accuse Surrey Opera of perceived crimes such as ‘colonial terminology, unnecessary appropriation of cultural motifs, patronizing a flawed mess of age-old orientalist stereotypes’ and ‘pseudo and shameless orientalism’.

Surrey Opera will now stage Gaetano Donizetti’s Don Pasquale at St Mary Magdalene in Croydon before bringing the show to Minack.

Surrey Opera has been contacted for comment.