"we had concerns from the start about their choice"
A Cornish open-air theatre has cancelled an opera after a US-based Hindu campaigner complained over its colonial themes.
Minack Theatre withdrew its planned production of Lakmé after concerns were raised by Rajan Zed, who described the production as “shallow exoticism based on prejudice”.
The French opera, composed by Léo Delibes in 1883, follows Lakmé, the daughter of a Hindu priest, who falls in love with Gérald, a British officer during colonial India.
Mr Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, said it was “highly irresponsible” for the theatre to stage Lakmé due to its perceived cultural insensitivities.
He said: “This deeply problematic opera was just a blatant belittling of a rich civilisation and exhibited 19th-century orientalist attitudes.”
Mr Zed also argued that the theatre “should not be in the business of callously promoting appropriation of traditions, elements and concepts of ‘others’”.
A spokesperson for Minack Theatre said: “The opera contains two well-known arias, the Bell Song and the Flower Duet, which are frequently performed in classical concerts.
“However, it was composed in 1883 and reflects colonial and social attitudes prevalent in Europe at that time.
“Because of this, we had concerns from the start about their choice and were in discussion with Surrey Opera about how they would address these issues in their production before Mr Zed contacted us.
“They have subsequently withdrawn the opera and Mr Zed has been informed of this.
“The Minack is an inclusive venue, welcoming people of all cultures and faiths. We do not condone racial or religious intolerance or misrepresentation in any form.
“We understand and accept Mr Zed’s valid concerns and are happy that we have been able to resolve this matter.”
Ahead of the scheduled September 7-11 performances, the theatre had already added trigger warnings to its website, warning audiences about “cultural bias” and “stereotyping or negative depictions of people/cultures”.
Mr Zed welcomed the decision to cancel the production and repeated claims that the opera “seriously trivialises Hindu religious and other traditions”.
He also said he received an email from Rebecca Thomas, the theatre’s director, confirming the production had been withdrawn.
According to Mr Zed, she wrote: “We do recognise that there are certain outdated references and cultural sensitivities within many of the older theatre and opera productions.
“It would never be our intention to promote or misrepresent traditions and cultures.”
Mr Zed further called on Surrey Opera to apologise and suggested the company’s leadership undergo “cultural sensitivity training”.
He added: “Surrey Opera should have shown some maturity before selecting an opera like Lakmé (Lakshmi), displaying Western caricaturing of Eastern heritage and abetting ethnic stereotyping.”
Mr Zed also accused the company of promoting “colonial terminology, needless appropriation of cultural motifs, patronising flawed mishmash of centuries-old orientalist stereotypes” and “pseudo and unabashed orientalism”.
Despite the controversy, Lakmé remains one of the composer’s best-known works. Its famous Flower Duet gained mainstream popularity after appearing in a 1989 British Airways advert.
The duet also featured in True Romance and Meet the Parents.
The opera has previously been staged in the UK, including a 2015 production at Opera Holland Park featuring the City of London Sinfonia.
Surrey Opera will now perform Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti instead. The production will first run at St Mary Magdalene before transferring to the Minack’s open-air stage.
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