Ukraine crisis: Russian ballet company cancels remaining UK tour dates

The Russian State Ballet of Siberia has cancelled its remaining UK tour dates, because of the Ukraine crisis.

Promotion company Raymond Gubbay Limited said the tour would not continue "due to the current shocking circumstances unfolding in Ukraine".

And it hoped "for a swift return to peace and stability in the region".

Several theatres had already pulled performances, including the Bristol Hippodrome, the Wolverhampton Grand and the Royal and Derngate, in Northampton.

Members of the Ukrainian community in Wolverhampton had called for the cancellation of the performance in the city.

The tour had been due to end in Bristol on 25 March.

Venues in Edinburgh, Bournemouth, Southend and Peterborough had also already cancelled performances.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries had called on venues to "take action".

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has been contacted for comment in the light of the entire tour's cancellation.

Future dates now scuppered include those in Leicester, Basingstoke, Hants, and High Wycombe.

Raymond Gubbay Limited said it would be contacting ticket holders.

The Russian State Ballet of Siberia, led by artistic director Sergei Bobrov and music director Anatoly Tchepurnoi, is one of Russia's leading ballet companies.

Founded in 1978, it has toured the country several times since its UK debut, in Cardiff, 20 years ago.

The current tour - which included classics such as Swan Lake and The Nutcracker - kicked off in December and had already visited towns and cities across the UK, including Manchester, Sheffield, Blackpool, Hull, Nottingham and Liverpool.

Protests have been held across UK, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last week.