Banshee Labyrinth cites Philip Simon's tweets

One of the venues that cancelled Jewish comedian Philip Simon say they pulled his Edinburgh Fringe run for ‘associating with discriminatory groups’  

Banshee Labyrinth last night axed Simon’s solo show Shall I Compere Thee in a Funny Way? after fellow PBH Free Fringe venue Whistlebinkies pulled the plug on a Jewish line-up show he was due to host earlier in the week.

The comic said he was targeted simply for being Jewish, but Banshee Labyrinth told Chortle: ‘We obviously have not declined his show because of his religious or cultural identity. Philip has performed with us before.’

They said he was cancelled after they performed their ‘routine’ checks for ‘displaying rhetoric or symbology associated with discriminatory groups.’

Chortle has seen the dossier of tweets the venue compiled before making their decision 

Many of them are in responses to people or groups pledging support for Palestinian people, with the comic asking why they were not showing similar support for Israeli hostages taken by Hamas.

One said: 'To all those celebrities crying out to the innocent people of Palestine I salute you. Unless you've "forgotten" to mention or spare some tears for the hostages - men, women, elderly children, BABIES! In which case you have no business here!’

Another tweet criticised the release of 1,890 Palestinians held by Israel as disproportionate and said it was 'capitulating to terrorists’.

He also identified himself as ‘pro-Israel’ from another social media building a network of such accounts. 

Other messages criticised Greta Thunberg for claiming she had been ‘kidnapped’ by Israeli forces who intercepted her ‘Freedom flotilla’ heading for Gaza last month, joking it was like ‘the time I got caught nicking the pick n mix at Woolworths and the police came and kidnapped me. 

In January last year he attended a rally in Trafalgar Square in support of Israel, in which the country’s president Isaac Herzog, thanked King Charles and Keir Starmer for their support via video message. 

And one comment about a pro-Palestine event in Leicester suggested that the city – which has a high Asian population – was atypical in supporting the people of Gaza:

When telling the PBH Free Fringe of their decision to cancel Simon, Banshee Labyrinth said:  ‘Due to the recent controversy [regarding Whistlebinkies], our management had a duty of care to our customers and staff members to review the political statements and opinions expressed by the performer. 

‘We found that the views concerning the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine expressed by the performer are in significant conflict with our venue’s stance against the current Israeli government’s policy and actions. 

‘We feel it is inappropriate for us to provide a platform for performers whose views and actions align with the rhetoric and symbology of groups associated with humanitarian violations.’

They further Chortle that ‘we only thought we should have a look at his pages to see what was going on because of what happened with Whistlebinkies. If we hadn’t found anything of concern, he would obviously still be performing with us’.

And they said that as well as the tweets, there were ‘more statements we found to be of concern’ on his podcasts linked to his work as a comedian 

Writing on Facebook to reveal the ban, Simon insisted: ‘Anyone who knows me will know I have never expressed support for anything other than freeing the hostages and finding a way for peace. It is sad to think that these views could conflict with anyone who wants to see a lasting peace in Gaza and Israel. 

‘As a Jewish person living in Britain it is possible, and increasingly common, to have a love for Israel without supporting the actions of the government. I am still processing the concept that in 2025 I can be cancelled just for being Jewish.’

He and fellow Jewish comedian Rachel Creeger lost their spot at Whistlebinkies, apparently over staff fear for their safety.

Both venues are part of the PBH Free Fringe, whose CEO Luke Meredith told Chortle: 'The decision not to host the two shows was taken by the venue alone. So far as we understand, this was a staff decision based on last year’s experience when they experienced a significant rise in both "Free Palestine" and Zionist graffiti, together with police notices that they said made them feel unsafe.’

Creeger, whos show was called Ultimate Jewish Mother, told the Jewish News: ‘Sadly, this is part of an ongoing problem faced by Jewish performers in this country. We are being cancelled and often silently boycotted.’

Simon last night said he would still be attending the Fringe with a children’s show and was investigating alternative venues for his cancelled shows.

He added: ‘I am incredibly grateful for the support I have received from so many inside and outside the comedy industry, and hope that everyone performing in Edinburgh has a productive and safe month.

‘For those who have suggested boycotts of the venues, I would ask fellow comics not to do anything to jeopardise your own shows, just go out there, do your thing and smash it! If you are going to Edinburgh to see shows and enjoy the comedy, please do not boycott these venues, they are hosting some incredible acts who I wouldn’t want to suffer negatively because of this.’

Published: 27 Jul 2025