Russian State Opera show at Portsmouth's New Theatre Royal is cancelled because of Ukraine invasion

The Russian State Opera’s production of Verdi’s Aida was due to appear at The New Theatre Royal in Guildhall Walk, Portsmouth on April 8.

But following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the city centre venue has held talks with numerous concerned parties and decided to pull the show.

In a statement on the NTR’s website, they said: ‘In light of the escalating situation in Ukraine, the New Theatre Royal will no longer be presenting the Russian State Opera production Aida which was due to be performed in April.

‘All ticket holders will receive a full refund.

‘There is no need to contact the theatre, a member of the Box Office team will contact the ticketholders directly.

‘We appreciate that the production company and artistes involved in these productions are in no way responsible for the actions of the Russian government and this decision was not an easy one to make.

‘However, it is imperative that we share our support and solidarity towards the people of Ukraine during this difficult time.

‘Extensive discussions between management, producers, and agents have been held, and the decision to cancel is absolutely the right thing to do given the circumstances.

‘If you are a ticketholder for Aida, please DO NOT contact the Box Office for a refund, we will contact you.’

The RSO was previously a regular visitor to Portsmouth, with acclaimed productions of Madama Butterfly and Carmen, among others.

They had originally been due to perform Verdi’s classic in the city as part of a UK tour in spring 2020 – but it was cancelled on that occasion because of the pandemic.

The opera tells a love story set in ancient Egypt against the backdrop of war.

The RSO’s parent company, Amande Concerts is registered as a business in the UK, and their previous press releases described the company thus: ‘Amande Concerts, the producer of The Russian State Ballet and Opera House, is a company that is dedicated to delivering productions the highest quality to British and European regional audience.’

Neither the RSO or Amande Concerts website is currently working.

When The News called the UK marketing contact’s number for the RSO, a man who declined to give his name said they did not want to comment.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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