After Hindu protest, England’s iconic Minack Theatre drops culturally insensitive opera Lakmé

The iconic Minack Theatre in Cornwall, England, has officially cancelled its upcoming production of the opera Lakmé following protests from the Hindu community regarding cultural insensitivity. The decision came after Rajan Zed, President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, raised concerns that the 19th-century French opera by Léo Delibes promotes “orientalist attitudes,” ethnic stereotyping, and a “callous appropriation” of Hindu traditions and deities. Rebecca Thomas, the director of the Minack Theatre, acknowledged the validity of these points in an email to Zed, noting that the production—originally scheduled for September and produced by Surrey Opera—contained outdated references that did not align with the theatre’s intention to represent cultures with dignity. While Zed thanked the theatre for its responsiveness, he also urged the organization to implement cultural sensitivity training for its staff and suggested that Lakmé should be permanently retired from global stages due to its dehumanizing and colonial-era portrayal of Indian heritage.