Middlesbrough mayor says banning ballet over Russian name wrong

Several venues have cancelled performances

Middlesbrough's mayor says it would be "completely wrong" to stop a ballet company performing because it uses Russia in its stage name.

Sleeping Beauty is due to be performed in the town by the Russian National Ballet, but some have called for it to be stopped due to the Ukraine invasion.

The show is produced by UK-based Amande Concerts which performs under the name and has no political links to Russia.

Darlington Hippodrome pulled shows by the same company's Russian State Opera.

The Billingham Forum Theatre has also decided to cancel October's performance of Swan Lake.

Andy Preston, Middlesbrough's independent-elected mayor, said stopping the performance at the town's theatre in October would be unfair.

Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston says the performance will go ahead

"It would be completely wrong to ban a UK-based company and their performers - some from Ukraine - who don't appear to have any links with the Russian state," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"My understanding is that this is an international cast of performers who, for artistic reasons, use the name of Russia in their stage name.

"We need to keep hold of reality here."

Middlesbrough Theatre refers to Sleeping Beauty as being performed by the "National Ballet"

Middlesbrough Theatre's website has since referred to the show as the "National Ballet". November's performance of The Nutcracker, performed by the same company, is also due to go ahead as planned.

The production has also changed its performance name at venues including the Grand Theatre in Blackpool.

"Like anyone sensible, my heart and head is with Ukraine right now and I want to see Putin disappear," Mr Preston said.

"But I am not anti-Russian or against Russian people, who are increasingly turning against their despotic leader.

"Not too long ago when our country was at war with Germany and Italy, some people turned on German and Italian neighbours they'd known for decades - just because of where they were born. We mustn't let that happen again."

A performance of Madame Butterfly by the company's opera brand went ahead on Sunday at Newcastle's Tyne Theatre and Opera House.

Derek Cooper, manager of Billingham Forum Theatre, said the production had to be "viable" in order for the tour to continue, and there had been a "split opinion" from customers about whether the show should go ahead.

"It was a really hard decision to make and we made it jointly," he said.

"It's a shame, it's a company and a guy I have been using for a decade - the performances are top-notch.

"It has already been rescheduled because of Covid - it's a double whammy for them."

Middlesbrough's town hall was lit up in the colours of Ukraine's flag on Tuesday

A statement from Amande Concerts, which is registered to a Canterbury address and has said it strongly condemns the violence, said it understood there was a potential for confusion over the name, but there is "no link between Amande Concerts to the Russian 'state' as a political entity."

"This brand acts as an umbrella for the presentation of artists of many different nationalities that have graduated from artistic institutions in Russia and countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union," it said.