Outrage over stage 'assault'

During the show at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre, the unpredictable comic started talking about how he wanted to use his position in the spotlight to get laid.

He then constructed a warped fairytale, in which he brought a girl from the audience on to the stage, laid her down and told her to lie still until his kiss brought her back to life.

However, the vigour with which he pursued this has sparked outrage from some commentators.

Journalist Mary O’Hara, who was sitting in the front row of the gig, curated by Stewart Lee to showcase his favourite stand-ups, wrote bluntly: ‘Vegas, without any discernible artistic or comedic merit, gratuitously groped a young woman on stage.’

Six ‘pallbearers’ brought the young woman on stage, and he quipped that they should ‘finger’ her as they carried her. And when she started giggling on stage, he jokingly threatened to kick her in the ribs to stop her moving.

But writing under the headline ‘Since when is sexual assault funny?’, O’Hara said: ‘It didn't come across to me as a joke - and near to where I was sitting, no one was laughing. Eventually Vegas crouched down beside the nervous girl and started stroking her breasts while repeatedly saying, “don't fucking move”. Then he ran his hand up her leg and began pulling her skirt up.

‘What I heard was an audible sharp intake of breath from the audience as they realised that the woman was getting much more than the kiss Vegas had told her to expect.’

One punter claimed on the Notbbc internet forum that Vegas ended up ‘fingering her through her clothes for a second or two’.

And another fan who posted on Chortle has stoked the flames of outrage by writing: ‘This was the most enjoyable night of comedy I have ever experienced. The discomfort in the predominately middle-class section of the audience I was sitting in was palpable during Vegas's set! During the bit where Vegas was sexually molesting a librarian whilst singing Shakespeare Sister's Stay I overheard a lady behind mutter under her breath, “This is hideous!: The scene was horrifying yet hilarious and Vegas was relentless… I will be laughing about this evening for a very long time!’

The Guardian’s report of the gig has caused consternation across the blogosphere.

One internet diarist wrote: ‘This is abuse of power, plain and simple. Sexual bullying and abuse which (hopefully) would have been stopped had it not been happening on a stage in the name of “comedy”. He should be charged with assault and banned from the comedy circuit. Oh, and he should also go to hell.’

American internet site Punchline, which is dedicated to stand-up, said: ‘Clearly what Vegas did was vile and without artistic merit.’

And another Chortle poster said: ‘Having read the Guardian's view of the show, I'm appalled that fame and supposed talent can allow someone to molest an audience member who was clearly in thrall. Although to what, I can't imagine. Shame on those laughing, too.’

However, other fans have criticised the Guardian’s coverage.

On the newspaper’s own website, comments include: ‘The author has a simple course of action here: if it was as bad as you make out - go to the police. That you apparently haven't, yet choose to profit from this poor woman's misfortune by writing about it instead, is frankly shocking and very nearly as bad as the assault that is claimed to have taken place.’

Others said: ‘I was at the gig and found Johnny hilarious, other friends found him less so, but more because they felt he was ill-prepared and not because of any sexually untoward behaviour’ and ‘While Johnny Vegas was pretty unfunny, I'm not sure his actions went as far as the reviewers suggested.’

And one seemed to understand the point Vegas was trying to make by saying: ‘Not totally defending him but I'm sure that the point was that pathetic individuals/society are totally enthralled with celebrity and let them get away with murder. She, and others, could have told him to get lost but didn't probably for that reason.’

Vegas himself has not made any comment on the controversy.

Published: 1 May 2008