Jewish comics claim fringe shows dropped on mistaken pretext
Rachel Creeger and Philip Simon told Times Radio that the Whistle Binkies venue told them the cancellation was linked to a 'vigil for IDF soldiers' held during Creeger's performance last year, something the venue later admitted had not happened.
Creeger, Britain's only touring comedian who is also a practising Orthodox Jew, explained: 'They initially said that they believed we'd held a vigil for an IDF soldier, a fallen soldier, which is a thing that just hadn't ever happened in either of our shows. The shows are not political, we're not political performers and the IDF is not a relevant subject in either show.
'They later withdrew that and said they understood that that didn't actually happen.
'Last year they went to great lengths to tell us that it was a safe space for us and that they would ensure that we always had positive experiences there. So it came as something of a shock to suddenly be told last Friday that we were no longer welcome on the site.'
Simon also said that a different venue decided to drop his performance after searching his social media, adding: 'My solo show, which has been at the same venue for the past two years, a different venue […] told me that my political views didn't align with theirs and therefore they were pulling that show.
'They've effectively done a trawl of social media to decide I didn't quite align with their views relating to the Israeli government. I've never posted about the Israeli government. I've posted about the situation because we're all horrified about what's going on in the Middle East but there's been nothing positive that I put out really about the Israeli government.'
He added that he was concerned by the implication of their shows being cancelled. 'Of course people have a right to choose who gets to perform in their venue, but there are also surely protective groups and laws that prevent decisions being made against us for those reasons.
'It seems very much that the decisions that have been taken have not been done because 'we want a different show', it's because of who we are and who they think we represent.'
Whistle Binkies was contacted for comment.
An Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society spokesperson 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.'
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