It does rather look as if Paul Currie has shot himself in the foot.
A Jewish theatregoer who was hounded out of London‘s Soho Theatre by a comedian because he refused to celebrate a Palestine flag has told MailOnline that the comic has ‘put us in a very dangerous situation’.
Liahav Eitan, who was out celebrating his 33rd birthday with a friend, was subjected to chants of ‘get the f*** out’ and ‘free Palestine’ at the end of ‘absurdist’ comedian Paul Currie’s one-hour show at the central London theatre on Saturday.
The shocking incident took place in front of around 200 people when Currie unfurled a Ukraine flag and then a Palestine flag before demanding the crowd give a standing ovation and clap.
His job as an entertainer is to entertain, not ram his politics down peoples throats. I can only presume that in the bubble he comes from, he assumed that his ‘right-on’ views would be welcomed by all without any form of pushback. His response to what can only be very mild resistance was massively over the top. Berating your audience and telling them to fuck off because they won’t join in with your pro Palestine rhetoric is pretty low stuff at the best. The backlash is well deserved.
In the wake of the backlash, Soho Theatre last night banned Currie from the venue, adding that his actions were ‘unacceptable and have no place on our stages’.
For once, this response is the right one. His behaviour was outrageous and has no place in any location. One can only hope that this is the end of his career.
Soho Theatre has said it would not tolerate ‘intimidation of audience members, acts of antisemitism or any other forms of racism’ and it is now working with the Campaign Against Antisemitism to speak to any affected audience members.
This is the right reaction.
Currie’s next performance in Glasgow on March 15 could also be at risk, with The Stand Comedy Club confirming that it was ‘reviewing the situation’.
Again, just for once, this is the right decision. This is not about free speech or cancelling someone for being edgy – this is a perfectly rational response when faced by appalling behaviour by a yob who is supposed to be an entertainer. Telling your paying audience to fuck off and berating them because they don’t share your politics has no place in any venue.
As for him being an absurdist comedian, this appears to be code for not funny. What a nasty piece of shit.
I imagine he fails on the entertain part as well.
Pulling in an audience of 200 or so in central London would certainly tend to support that.
Never heard of him until now, so therefore will never hear him!
Whoops! I read it as “Currying Flavour”.
’Berating your audience and telling them to fuck off because they won’t join in with your pro Palestine rhetoric…’
But he didn’t. He singled out two people. And shamefully, the rest of the audience appear to have done nothing to support them.
That’s more worrying than one anti-Semitic ‘comedian’.
Oh, it’s worse than that, they joined in.
Strikes me that he’s as much a comedian as the two horrible Brand creatures.
Michael Richards (Kramer in Seinfeld) made racist comments to audience members and didn’t work for 10 years.
I see no reason why the same shouldn’t apply to this cretin
Bloody hell, if you’ve gone too far for The Stand…
I just find the description of him as a comedian hilarious.
Nasty piece of shit is exactly right LR. Make me want to connect my boot with his head.
I imagine that the Guardian are already penning an editorial portraying him as a victim of cancel culture.