Irony on the Edinburgh Fringe

A woman has been arrested after heckling an Edinburgh Fringe show – about freedom of speech.

The 38-year-old punter, thought to be from New Zealand, was ejected from the Espionage venue on Saturday night after ‘hurling abuse’ at the stage.

In the free-to-enter show, called Freedom Of Speech, comedians Rick Molland and Sully O’Sullivan, pictured, host a comic debate on the merits of the right to express yourself freely.

O’Sullivan said: ‘Before the show, the woman began vocally abusing the comedians, and even other audience members.’

Molland said he felt it was impossible to continue under such conditions, so asked the woman to leave. But she refused, despite the rest of her party abandoning her, and continued to yell out.

Venue security staff also tried to persuade her to leave, and when that failed, forcibly ejected her through a fire escape and called police. She was then arrested led away in handcuffs. 

The show includes an audience vote on whether freedom of speech should be further curbed. And after Saturday’s incident, the poll notched up the first landslide victory for restricting that right.

A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed to Chortle that officers ‘were called to an address on Victoria Street at 8.40pm on Saturday following a report of a disturbance’.

They added: ‘A 38-year-old woman was arrested in connection with three counts of assault, refusal to leave a licensed premises and failure to provide details when required.

‘A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal and she will appear in court at a later date.’

Published: 8 Aug 2016