London Theatre Takes Stand Against Comedian Paul currie Amidst Concerns of Jewish Audience Members Feeling “Unsafe” and “Threatened”
In the aftermath of a comedy performance by Paul Currie on Saturday night, the Soho Theatre expressed deep concern as Jewish attendees reported being subjected to verbal abuse.
A Jewish attendee shared with the BBC that during the event, Mr. Currie prominently displayed a Palestinian flag while shouting “get out” at a man who raised objections.
BBC News has reached out to Paul Currie for comment on the matter.
Soho Theatre issued a compassionate statement expressing their dismay over Paul Currie’s behavior, noting that he “aggressively demanded” Jewish audience members to leave his show.
The statement emphasized that such actions are utterly unacceptable and have no place on their stages, both in the present and the future. Soho Theatre made it clear that they will not extend an invitation to Paul Currie to perform at their venue again.
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A Jewish gentleman, accompanied by his wife and friends, revealed to the BBC on Monday that the distressing incident occurred approximately five minutes before the end of Mr. Currie’s performance. The incident unfolded after the comedian had unveiled both a Ukrainian and Palestinian flag.
The anonymous man stated that Paul Currie called for a standing ovation and questioned why one person remained seated. The audience member explained that he had enjoyed the show until the moment the Palestinian flag was displayed. Subsequently, Paul Currie became agitated and vehemently told him to leave, causing the man and several others to exit the show before its conclusion.
Another attendee, who also preferred to remain anonymous, described the incident as “shocking.” However, he perceived that Paul Currie was making a “political point” regarding the conflict in Gaza. He recalled that Paul Currie did not mention the words “Jewish,” “Judaism,” or “Zionism.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed their awareness of the incident and stated that inquiries were ongoing.
Paul Currie’s show, titled Shtoom, is described on the theatre’s website as a “unique, surrealist, dada punk-clown, non-verbal experience.” Throughout the hour-long performance, Paul Currie relies on mime, music, and audience participation, refraining from speaking until the very end. The Saturday show marked the final performance of the three-night run at Soho Theatre. Paul Currie had unveiled the Ukrainian and Palestinian flags at the conclusion of the show on at least one of the previous nights, also encouraging the audience to shout “Free Palestine” during that instance.
The BBC’s requests for comment from Paul Currie remain unanswered. However, in a recent Instagram story post following Soho Theatre’s statement, he shared a photo of a heart in the colors of the Palestinian flag, accompanied by the caption “Happy Palestine Day.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism, which has been providing assistance to the affected Jewish audience members, acknowledged the theatre’s positive and prompt engagement with the group. They noted that the theatre appeared to be caught off guard as the show was intended to be non-verbal. The spokesperson mentioned that they would arrange for senior representatives of the theatre to meet with Jewish members of the audience to discuss the incident. Additionally, they stated that they were reviewing legal options concerning Mr. Currie and holding discussions with the affected audience members.
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