Here’s the moment Paul Currie produces a Palestinian flag on stage, triggering a series of events that led him to be banned from the Soho Theatre for antisemitism.

The London venue has barred the comic after contacting everyone who had a ticket for Saturday night’s gig, and concluding: ‘Jewish members of the audience were subjected to verbal abuse and the performer aggressively demanding they leave the theatre. Such appalling actions are unacceptable and have no place on our stages, now or ever.’

It started with a sketch in which the comedian first produced a Ukrainian flag, then the Palestinian one, to the strains of John Farnham’s hit You’re The Voice, with its defiant lyrics: ‘We're not gonna sit in silence…’

As our exclusive footage from Saturday night’s performance shows, Currie then sits down and mimes someone doing just that - sitting in silence - then sitting apathetically in front of the TV. He then mobes to another skit, miming to  Kermit singing Rainbow Connection.

Everything kicked off a few minutes later when Currie engineered a standing ovation  – but spotted one man remaining in his seat. The comic asked why, and he said he had  been offended by the Palestinian flag. 

Witnesses have told how Currie reacted emotionally to that, and angrily yelled at the man to leave – leaving him fearing for his safety.

The member of the audience who supplied this footage said: ‘I don't condone how he managed the situation but I understand his emotion and admire his braveness to stand up for Palestinians without compromise.

‘I want to make it very clear that nothing anti-semitic was said. Nothing like the words "Jewish" or "Zionism" were said by anyone. All that happened was the man told Paul that he was Israeli and therefore found the Palestinian flag offensive. 

‘I would estimate around 10 audience members joined in chanting "ceasefire" but I did not witness any jeering or booing, or anything like that, towards people leaving.’

Other members of the audience also said they did not feel Currie was being antisemitic – but since Chortle published their views, others have contacted this website to say it is not for non-Jewish witnesses to declare what is antisemitic.

One of those witnesses has also had second thoughts after reflecting on the night, now saying Currie was wrong to kick the audience member out of the room, a move she now describes as ‘antagonistic and alienating’.

The comedy-goer who was ordered out of the room, 33-year-old software engineer Liahav Eitan, certainly felt he was being targeted for being Jewish, saying he felt scared that the room  ‘might turn against us’ during the verbal onslaught  

He told MailOnline how Currie ‘starts screaming, "I’m from Belfast. I know everything about ceasefires. Ceasefire now! Get the fuck out of my theatre. Get out, get the fuck out of my show, motherfuckers".’

Eitan said that as he and his friend started to leave,  Currie had started chants of ‘ceasefire now’ and ‘free Palestine’, adding he was ‘quite afraid that he [Currie] would throw a punch because he was still cursing and shouting. 

‘He got out his Palestine flag again and shouted "motherfucker you'll have to watch it again on your way out.’

He added: ‘[We were] mostly scared about how that room might turn against us’ and said  Currie should be reprimanded for his 'unreasonable and unprofessional behaviour’.

Other people who left in disgust said: ‘What had been intended to be an evening of comedy turned out to be what felt like an antisemitic rally.’

The comic may now be facing police action after the Met were alerted to the incident, while The Campaign Against Antisemitism has taken up the case and says it is considering legal avenues.

A spokesperson said: 'What the Jewish audience members have recounted is atrocious, and we are working with them and our lawyers to ensure that those who instigated and enabled it are held to account.

'These allegations are of deeply disturbing discriminatory abuse against Jews. Comedians are rightly given broad latitude, but hounding Jews out of theatres is reminiscent of humanity’s darkest days, and must have no place in Central London in 2024.’

Currie’s gig in Lisburn in Northern Ireland next week has been cancelled following the furore.

Today, Jewish charity The Community Security Trust said  that reports of antisemitic incidents in the UK reached a record high last year.

 The organisation says that there were reports of 4,103 anti-Jewish hate incidents in 2023, up from 1,662 in 2022, with two-thirds of incidents happening on or after the Hamas attacks of October 7.