A FRINGE show by controversial comedian Jerry Sadowitz has been cancelled following complaints to venue bosses.
Sadowitz was due to play two nights at The Pleasance at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Friday and Saturday.
However, last night’s shows did not go ahead as the venue said the comedian’s material “does not align with our values”.
Sadowitz (60) posed on social media on Saturday: “Did a show last night, 75 mins, thought it went well. Didn’t see any walkouts.
Did a show last night, 75 mins, thought it went well. Didn't see any walkouts. Today I’m told my show's been cancelled. Great stuff. I'm truly sorry for everyone who travelled to see the show tonight.
— Jerry Sadowitz (@RealJSadowitz) August 13, 2022
"Great stuff. I'm truly sorry for everyone who travelled to see the show tonight."
The Pleasance Theatre confirmed the second performance had been cancelled “with immediate effect”.
The American-born Scottish stand-up is known for his controversial style of black comedy.
One audience member told The Sun: “I was at the show. He called Rishi Sunak a ‘p***’ and said the economy was awful because it is run ‘by blacks and women’.
“He got his penis out to a woman in the front row. The problem was not the audience – I knew he was an acquired taste. It was his indefensible content.”
It’s believed the show, titled Not for Anyone, caused many audience members and staff to complain.
In a promotion video for the show, the comedian held up a bird puppet, telling fans what to expect.
Sadowitz said: “He’s gonna be funny. He’s gonna be rude. He’s gonna do magic tricks.
“He’s gonna do impressions. He’s gonna get his d*** out.
“He’s gonna do every f****** thing, so make sure you go and see him.”
In a statement, The Pleasance Theatre said: “Opinions such as those displayed on stage by Sadowitz are not acceptable and The Pleasance are not prepared to be associated with such material.”
The venue’s director Anthony Alderson added: “The Pleasance is a venue that champions freedom of speech and we do not censor comedians’ material.
“While we acknowledge that Jerry Sadowitz has often been controversial, the material presented at his first show is not acceptable and does not align with our values.
“This type of material has no place on the festival and the Pleasance will not be presenting his second and final show.”
The Pleasance Theatre issued an updated statement in which it confirmed it had received “numerous complaints” and that the language was “completely unacceptable.”
A spokesperson continued: “A large number of people walked out of Jerry Sadowitz’s show as they felt uncomfortable and unsafe to remain in the venue.
“We have received an unprecedented number of complaints that could not be ignored and we had a duty to respond.
“The subsequent abuse directed to our teams is also equally unacceptable.”
The statement said the Pleasance’s values were to be “inclusive, diverse and welcoming” and that they were proud of the “significant investment” they had made for “Black, Asian and Global Majority artists, LGBTQ+ voices, those from working class backgrounds, and the strong representation of women”.
The statement added: “In a changing world, stories and language that were once accepted on stage, whether performed in character or not, need to be challenged.
“There is a line that we will not cross at the Pleasance, and it was our view that this line was crossed on this occasion.
“We don’t vet the full content of acts in advance and while Jerry Sadowitz is a controversial comedian, we could not have known the specifics of his performance.
“The Pleasance has staged his work numerous times over the years, but as soon as we received complaints from those in the building which caused us great concern, we knew we could not allow the final performance to go ahead.
“The arts and comedy in particular have always pushed the boundaries of social norms but this boundary is always moving.
“Our industry has to move with it. However, this does not mean that we can allow such content to be on our stages.”
