The Problem With Watching Ballet At The O2 Arena

Critic Ismene Brown leads the opposition: “Sweet packets rustled behind my ear, fish and chips were wolfed nearby … People were still entering in droves 30 minutes after the start, obstructing the view of Juliet’s first scene. … Yes, there’s much … [that] could inspire people to fall under ballet’s spell, but the O2’s who-cares audience policies lead to dismayingly antisocial behaviour.”

Stephen Page’s 20 Years Leading Bangarra Dance Theatre, Australia’s Flagship Aboriginal Arts Group

“He has arguably had one of the most challenging jobs in mainstage arts in the country, having to juggle not only competing creative and managerial demands but carefully negotiate a complex web of black politics and sensitive cultural protocols, including seeking permission from traditional communities to tell their stories.”