A Jewish comedian has been dropped by an Edinburgh Fringe venue after attending a vigil for the victims of the October 7 Hamas terror attacks.
Philip Simon, who was due to perform his show Shall I Compere Thee in a Funny Way? at the Banshee Labyrinth, was informed by the venue that it would no longer host his act due to “rhetoric and symbology” associated with Israel.
In a message to Simon, Banshee Labyrinth stated: “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, who also performs a children’s show at the Fringe, said he was stunned by the decision. “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.”
The Banshee Labyrinth told The Telegraph it had reviewed Simon’s social media accounts following controversy at a neighbouring venue.
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.”
Among the social media posts cited were pictures from a vigil marking 100 days since the October 7 attacks, a message describing it as powerful to “stand strong against terror”, and another warning that rape victims from the attacks were being forgotten. The venue also objected to posts calling for hostages to be freed, and one mocking Greta Thunberg’s attempt to sail to Gaza.
The decision followed a separate row at Whistlebinkies, a nearby venue which also cancelled shows by Simon and fellow Jewish comedian Rachel Creeger.
Creeger had been due to perform her show Ultimate Jewish Mother, and Simon was scheduled to host a showcase titled Jew-O-Rama. The pair said they were informed on July 18 that their shows would not go ahead after staff raised concerns about feeling “unsafe”.
It’s understood police had offered additional supervision for the venues, but the comedians said it was too late to secure alternative arrangements. Their shows have since been removed from the official Fringe listings.
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 wider Edinburgh Fringe has seen several high-profile controversies linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In 2024, two Israeli audience members were booed out of Reginald D Hunter’s show after objecting to a joke comparing Israel to an abusive partner. Hunter later had shows cancelled and is due in court later this year over an alleged anti-Semitic social media post, with a hearing in November set to decide whether a private prosecution will go ahead.
Earlier this year, comedian Paul Currie was banned from a West End theatre following a performance where he allegedly waved a Palestinian flag and told an Israeli audience member to “get the f— out of here”, before leading a chant of “Palestine will be free”.
Police were consulted and the theatre said Currie’s behaviour amounted to “appalling” intimidation.