THE Russian State Ballet of Siberia is no longer scheduled to perform three dates at the Edinburgh Playhouse next week, following the invasion of Ukraine.
In a statement, organisers The Ambassador Theatre Group said it "stands firmly behind the people and nation of Ukraine at this time".
They continued: "Consequently, the decision has been taken to cancel the forthcoming visit of the Russian State Ballet Company of Siberia to our venues, Edinburgh Playhouse and Bristol Hippodrome, which were scheduled to take place between 3-5 March and 25-26 March respectively.
"We hope for a swift return to peace and stability in the region.
"We will be in touch with customers who had tickets for these performances as soon as possible, and thank them for their patience and understanding."
On Saturday it was announced that Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre had called off the group’s appearances in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The dancers had been scheduled to appear between February 28 and March 2, but organisers decided axing the shows was “absolutely the right thing to do given the circumstances”.
Representatives for the theatre said: “Management and the Board of Trustees at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre have taken the decision to cancel the forthcoming appearance of The Russian State Ballet, which was due to perform from Monday 28 February to Wednesday 2 March.
“Discussions and consultations between management, producers and agents have been ongoing since last Thursday.
“The decision to cancel is absolutely the right thing to do given the circumstances, however this will have a significant financial impact on the theatre which is still in recovery following the closure forced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is a charity which works extensively within the whole community, working with everyone.
“All customers who have purchased tickets for the ballet will receive a full refund.”
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The decisions followed the Royal Opera House of London’s cancellation of the Moscow-based Bolshoi Ballet tour, and Eurovision’s banning of this year’s Russian representative. In Dublin, a show by the Royal Moscow Ballet was called off as Helix theatre organisers decided to “stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine”.
The Russian State Ballet dancers are currently on tour across the UK, and took to the stage at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate theatre on Friday.
However after the news from Wolverhampton, the theatre followed suit and cancelled the show for February 26.
In a statement, it said: “Given the situation in Ukraine, Royal & Derngate have taken the decision to cancel today’s performances of The Russian State Ballet.”
The theatre apologised for any inconvenience caused and for the short notice of the announcement while informing those who had purchased tickets that they would receive a full refund.
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Attendees waiting to watch the performance on Friday told journalists they had anticipated a cancellation, and expressed sympathy for the group.
"They must be wondering what reception they’ll get. I imagine they’re nervous,” audience member Selina Bidwell told The Guardian. “But it’s not their fault, we shouldn’t penalise them.
"They’re just trying to make a living. It’s not their fault they have a despot for a leader. We don’t know them, but if they are the ones that don’t agree with it, we need to support them.”
Following the announcement from Northampton on Saturday, the UK Government Culture Secretary said it was welcome news.
In a tweet, Nadine Dorries wrote: "We can’t allow representatives of the Russian state to continue performing. I call on other venues to take action and stand by the people of Ukraine."
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