Jewish comedians due to perform at Edinburgh Fringe have had their shows cancelled due to bar staff having ‘safety concerns’.
Rachel Creeger and Philip Simon were due to perform at the Whistlebinkies during the festival due to start next week.
Ms Creeger was going to stand on stage to perform her show, Ultimate Jewish Mother, while Mr Simon was due to host a Jew-O-Rama of Jewish comedic talents.
But the two have now claimed they were told their shows would be cancelled after staff raised concerns about feeling ‘unsafe’, the Telegraph reports.
It is claimed that the concerns were raised after an announcement that the venue would be given extra police supervision for worries over the safety of Jewish acts.
Ms Creeger told the newspaper the cancellation reflects a broader pattern of challenges and exclusion that Jewish performers continue to face across the UK.
She added: ‘We are being cancelled and often silently boycotted.
The comedians were notified on July 18 that their shows had been cancelled.
Rachel Creeger, pictured, was going to stand on stage to perform her show, Ultimate Jewish Mother, while Mr Simon was due to host a Jew-O-Rama of Jewish comedic talents
Philip Simon said he was troubled by what he described as the apparent decision to address safety concerns by ‘removing the Jews from the bill’, calling it ’emblematic of the problem facing Jewish artists and performers in the UK today’
It is claimed that the concerns were raised after an announcement that the venue would be given extra police supervision for worries over the safety of Jewish acts
Although alternative venue arrangements were reportedly explored, the change could not be finalised in time.
Their shows no longer appear on the Edinburgh Fringe listings website.
Mr Simon said he was troubled by what he described as the apparent decision to address safety concerns by ‘removing the Jews from the bill’, calling it ’emblematic of the problem facing Jewish artists and performers in the UK today’.
The CEO of Free Fringe, a group which organises its own shows as part of the bigger festival, said the decision not to host the shows was taken by the venue.
He explained to the Chortle, as far as he understands it, this was based on last year’s experience when two Israeli audience members were reportedly sworn at after objecting to a joke by a comedian at the festival.
He said this was mentioned to him in late May, after the brochure’s print deadline had passed.
At the time, it was believed that, since the police were only taking precautions and no actual threats had been made, moving the shows after they were already advertised in print might be detrimental, and that the issue had been resolved.
However, it later became clear that it was understood the shows were to be moved.
He added: ‘I was made aware of this a week ago and since then we have been working with the shows to try and find them a suitable replacement slot, including approaching other organisations.
‘Nothing has been possible so far but we welcome any offer of help. If anyone has a space in central Edinburgh that would like to host them, we would be happy to run it.’
A spokeswoman for Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: ‘The Fringe Society’s role is to provide support and advice to all participants at the Festival Fringe with a vision to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat.
‘We stand for freedom of expression, which has been a core principle of the festival since its inception nearly 80 years ago.
‘The Fringe Society don’t manage or programme venues at the festival.
‘We understand that the show cancellations have been a choice made by the venue. Our Artist Services team continue to support the artists affected, including in their search for an alternative venue.
‘We understand that those conversations are ongoing and hope a resolution is found.’
MailOnline has approached the comedians and Whistlebinkies for comment.
As previously reported, last year, two Israeli audience members were reportedly sworn at and called ‘genocidal’ by spectators shouting ‘Free Palestine’ after objecting to a joke by a comedian at the festival.
US-born stand-up comedian Reginald D Hunter was halfway through the packed gig when the commotion began
He made a quip about when he had been watching a documentary about domestic abuse, saying it made him think of Israel
US-born stand-up comedian Reginald D Hunter was halfway through the packed gig when the commotion began.
He made a quip about when he had been watching a documentary about domestic abuse, saying it made him think of Israel.
As a woman told her story of how she was ill-treated by her husband, the comedian revealed that he thought to himself: ‘My God, it’s like being married to Israel.’
While the joke evoked laughter from the audience, a couple in the front row were prompted to shout out ‘not funny’, before revealing they were Israeli.
The Telegraph’s chief theatre critic Dominic Cavendish was in the audience when the furore erupted.
The pair were met with boos, slow hand claps, and shouted abuse as the audience shouted ‘Free Palestine’.
Rather than challenging the crowd, the artist reportedly told them: ‘You can say it’s not funny to you, but if you say it to a room full of people who laughed, you look foolish.’
He is said to have ‘openly laughed’ as the couple, one of whom was disabled, left.
