To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Thank you for making me feel excluded. I was looking at booking a ticket to see The Pirates of Penzance and it turns out that the nearest for me is St Peter’s Church in Harborne. As a gay man, I have always been excluded and discriminated against by Christianity in all its denominations and indeed, the Bible, is explicitly homophobic, even now. As a result, I have long since vowed not to visit a religious building for any purpose, even if the event itself is non-religious. Therefore, I shall not be booking to see your production.
Dear Phil,
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.
We’re genuinely sorry to hear that you’ve felt excluded or hurt by religious institutions in the past. Your experience matters, and we fully understand and respect your decision.
At Opera Anywhere, we are committed to inclusivity, both in our casting and in the audiences we aim to reach. We proudly work with and support LGBT+ performers, creatives, and communities. Many of our performances take place in churches, not because of any religious affiliation on our part, but because these venues are often beautiful, accessible spaces that support the arts and welcome diverse audiences. In many cases, they also partner with us to raise funds for local charities or community projects.
Our own Anglican church has a priest who serves as a padre to Oxford’s LGBT community, actively working to build bridges and challenge prejudice from within.
We appreciate that some people may not feel comfortable in a church building, even for a non-religious event, and we respect that entirely. If you’d still like to see The Pirates of Penzance or any of our other productions, we’d be very happy to keep you posted on performances in alternative venues. You’re warmly invited to sign up to our newsletter here, where we share tour dates and updates as they’re confirmed.
Thank you again for writing — we truly hope there’ll be a chance to welcome you to a performance in a space that feels right for you.
Warm wishes,
The Opera Anywhere Team