German opera house fires director who smeared dog poo in critic's face

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German opera house whose ballet director smeared dog excrement on the face of a critic prompting a police investigation has parted ways with the man with immediate effect.

"Marco Goecke's irresponsible actions have deeply unsettled the audience, irritated the public, violated all the principles of the house and massively damaged the reputation of the Hanover State Opera," the theatre said in a statement.