The hosts of Jewish chat show podcast Jew Talkin' To Me have had two of their shows pulled from a venue at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, just weeks before the festival begins because the venue says it can’t guarantee staff safety.
Rachel Creeger and Philip Simon were told by Whistlebinkies that their shows could no longer go ahead. Creeger had planned to perform her solo show Ultimate Jewish Mother, and Simon was set to host Jew-O-Rama, a rotating lineup of Jewish and “Jew-ish” comedians.
According to a Jewish News article, both performers stress that their shows are not political and don’t touch on the Israel–Palestine conflict, but they were told the venue had received complaints and concerns from staff who felt uncomfortable, particularly in the current political climate.
The comedians say they were blindsided by the decision. “We have always found Whistlebinkies to be such a safe and welcoming environment, so we are, shocked, deeply upset and disappointed by this decision," said Creeger. “We don’t recognise the complaints being made by the bar staff. No incidents occurred during our shows last year. We did not witness any targeted graffiti."
Simon said: “Our show is about fun and comedy, not geopolitics. It is disheartening to find out so late in the day that we have lost our venue. Not only has this cost money and taken a huge amount of time, but more than that, it is hurtful that instead of reassuring the young bar staff who raised concerns, the solution was to remove the Jews from the bill. This is emblematic of the problem facing Jewish artists and performers in the UK today.”
The decision has sparked concern among artists and audiences who believe Jewish performers should feel as safe and supported as anyone else at the Fringe. Both acts are attempting to find alternative spaces with support of Fringe organisers, but with the festival fast approaching, time and venues are running out.
Jew Talkin' To Me is part of the Podomedy podcast network, hosted on Acast.