Banshee Labyrinth cites Philip Simon's tweets

Edinburgh Fringe venue Banshee Labyrinth has admitted that it unlawfully discriminated against Jewish comedian Philip Simon when it banned his festival show last year.

The case hit the headlines when his solo show Shall I Compere Thee in a Funny Way? was pulled just days before the Fringe started.

At the time, the venue claimed he had been ‘displaying rhetoric or symbology associated with discriminatory groups’ in his pro-Israeli social media posts. However, Simon said he was targeted simply for being Jewish, and pursued legal action.

The venue’s owner Morrison Bro’s originally defended the case but Edinburgh Sheriff Court was today told they had conceded the comedian had been subject to ‘unlawful belief-based discrimination’.

The court will determine the amount of damages to be awarded at a later date.

Simon’s lawyer told the court that the venue – used by the PBH Free Fringe – ‘dragged out proceedings’ despite knowing any defence was ‘untenable’, leading to extra expense that they are now seeking to recover.

And Judge Sheriff Roderick Flinn said the venue had acted ‘unreasonably’ in leaving it until August 5 to accept it had discriminated against Simon the BBC reports.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: ‘This should never have got as far as court, as demonstrated by the fact that having dragged its heels for over a year, Banshee Labyrinth had to admit on the first day of the hearing that it did in fact discriminate against Philip Simon. 

‘This is yet another example of Jews being forced to take a "purity test" or, worse still, have assumptions being made about their morals purely on the basis of being Jewish.

‘The arts are becoming an increasingly hostile place for Jewish performers. Let this serve as an example that venues cannot discriminate against Jewish artists with impunity. When they do, British Jews will fight back and those responsible will be held to account.’

Chortle has approached Banshee Labyrinth for comment. 

Last year they told PBH Free Fringe that  they had to pull the show because Simon’s ‘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’, adding that his views and actions align with the rhetoric and symbology of groups associated with humanitarian violations’.

And they told Chortle: ‘‘We obviously have not declined his show because of his religious or cultural identity. Philip has performed with us before.’

Writing on Facebook at the time, Simon insisted: ‘Anyone who knows me will know I have never expressed support for anything other than freeing the hostages [abducted from Israel by Hamas] 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.’

Simon is back at this year’s Fringe hosting the line-up show Jew-O-Rama at Laughing Horse @ Bar 50

Published: 17 Aug 2026