BNP ballerina facing a storm

Anti-racism campaigners will be demonstrating in Hanley tomorrow in protest at the planned appearance of a British National Party-supporting ballerina on The Regent Theatre stage.Ballerina Simone Clarke - who is starring in the English National Ballet's The Canterville Ghost at The Regent tomorrow - made national headlines when it was revealed she is a BNP member.


Now dozens of protesters from Potteries' campaign groups Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR), Unite Against Fascism, and Norscarf (North Staffordshire Campaign Against Racism and Fascism) are planning to protest outside The Regent at 1.30pm tomorrow.

Matt Wilcox, a member of LMHR Stoke-on-Trent, said: "We know the position of the BNP in Stoke-on-Trent and local elections are coming up in May.

"Prior to the matinee performance on Saturday, we will be protesting outside the theatre and making people aware of the issues. We will be asking people to boycott the show while she's a part of it."

The protest comes just two days before tickets go on sale for a huge LMHR concert headlined by Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly at the Victoria Hall, in Hanley, on May 4, as part of the Axis Festival. Festival programmer Steve Tilley said: "Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, was only too pleased to come to Stoke-on-Trent and help spread the message that we don't want or need the BNP in this city."

A pamphlet, which will be handed out by LMHR, says: "We call on all those who have an appreciation for the arts, music and dance to speak out against an artist's association with the BNP, and to push for Simone Clarke's removal from her position at ENB."

Ms Clarke, aged 36, was outed as a card-carrying member of the BNP by an undercover reporter with The Guardian. Ms Clarke, who was unavailable for comment today, has previously defended her position in an interview with The Mail on Sunday. In the interview, she said: "I have been labelled a racist and a fascist because I have a view on immigration and I mean mass immigration, but isn't that something that a lot of people worry about?"

Stoke-on-Trent BNP leader Albert Walker said: "This is ridiculous. I have seen some of these campaigners and they are a rag-tag bag of scruffs. She can be a member of the BNP and it is not going to effect her ballet dancing. Her politics don't matter."

An English National Ballet spokesman said: "We fully support the democratic right of people to mount a legal protest. However it is not within the company's mandate to express any political view, and any personal view expressed by one of our employees should not be considered as being endorsed by the company. The company does not comment on any political affiliations of its employees or any other aspects of their personal lives.

A Regent Theatre spokesman said: "Stoke-on-Trent Theatres presents around 500 performances a year at The Regent Theatre and Victoria Hall, and the views expressed by members of visiting companies cannot be considered to reflect the views of - nor be endorsed by - Stoke-on-Trent Theatres, The Ambassador Theatre Group or its employees."

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