2 days ago
Jewish comedian barred from Fringe venue for attending Oct 7 vigil
A Jewish comedian has been cancelled by an Edinburgh Fringe venue after attending a vigil for victims of the October 7 attacks.
Philip Simon was barred from the Banshee Labyrinth pub because of alleged 'rhetoric and symbology' linked to Israel.
One reason cited by the venue for cancelling his show, Shall I Compere Thee in a Funny Way?, was his attendance at a vigil held for people killed in the 2023 Hamas terror attacks.
In a message to Simon, Banshee Labyrith said: 'Our management had a duty of care to our customers and staff members to review the political statements and opinions expressed by the performer.
'We feel it is inappropriate for us to provide a platform for performers whose views and actions align with the rhetoric and symbology of groups associated with humanitarian violations.'
Simon said the only opinion he had expressed on the Gaza conflict was a desire for peace and to see the hostages freed.
He said: 'I am still processing the concept that in 2025 I can be cancelled just for being Jewish. In the meantime, I will still be at the Fringe for my one remaining children's show and continue to investigate possible alternative venues for both of my cancelled shows.'
Banshee Labyrinth told The Telegraph that it arrived at its decision after scouring Simon's social media pages.
It said: 'We routinely screen bands and performers for affiliations to, and statements that advocate for, discriminatory groups.
'We have hosted Philip in previous years and only thought we should have a look at his pages to see what was going on because of what happened with [a related row at] the neighbouring venue.
'If we hadn't found anything of concern he would obviously still be performing with us.'
The alleged concerns identified by Banshee Labyrinth include Simon sharing pictures from a vigil commemorating 100 days since the attack on Israel; a message on his X account saying that it was powerful to 'stand strong against terror'; and a post warning that Oct 7 rape victims were being forgotten.
Several others messages the venue objected to were variations on calls to 'bring home the hostages', while others made fun of Greta Thunberg's short-lived effort to travel by flotilla to Gaza.
Banshee Labyrinth said its decision to cancel the show came after a row involving a nearby venue, Whistlebinkies, which has cancelled shows by Mr Simon and fellow comedian Rachel Creeger.
Ms Creeger was set to perform her show Ultimate Jewish Mother, while Mr Simon was due to host a Jew-O-Rama of Jewish comedic talents.
The acts claimed they were informed that their gigs would be cancelled after bar staff at the venue expressed fears of feeling 'unsafe'.
It has been claimed that concerns were raised after an announcement that the venue would receive extra police supervision amid continued worries over the safety of Jewish acts.
'We are being silently boycotted'
Ms Creeger said: 'Sadly, this is part of an ongoing problem faced by Jewish performers in this country. We are being cancelled and often silently boycotted.'
The pair said they were informed on July 18 that their shows would not be going ahead. It is understood there had been plans to swap venues so they could still perform but it was too late to make these arrangements.
Their shows no longer appear on the Edinburgh Fringe listings website.
The Fringe, and comedy more broadly, has become embroiled in several controversies relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
At the Fringe in 2024, two Israeli audience members were booed out of Reginald D Hunter's comedy gig after they objected to a joke comparing the Jewish state to an abusive spouse.
Mr Hunter then had several gigs cancelled and later appeared in court over alleged anti-Semitic social media posts. There will be a hearing in November to decide whether the private prosecution brought against him will go ahead.
Earlier in 2024, the comedian Paul Currie was banned from a West End theatre after the venue said he had been 'subjecting Jewish audience members to verbal abuse'.
Soho Theatre consulted police following an incident in which he allegedly pulled out a Palestinian flag and shouted at an Israeli audience member to 'get the f--- out of here' before leading chants of 'Palestine will be free'.
The theatre investigated and then banned Mr Currie for what it termed 'appalling' intimidation.
