A theatre has cancelled a comedy show by Reginald D Hunter after two Israeli audience members were “hounded out” of one of his Edinburgh Fringe performances.
East Renfrewshire Council, which is home to Scotland’s largest Jewish population, announced it had cancelled the gig at the local authority-run Eastwood Park Theatre in Giffnock.
The council said next month’s show had been axed “due to controversial comments made during a recent performance” and the local authority’s “commitment to our community”.
The Telegraph disclosed that the audience members were booed at the Assembly George Square Studios in Edinburgh this week after they objected to Hunter’s joke comparing Israel to an abusive spouse.
Police Scotland received a complaint under Scotland’s controversial new hate crime laws but announced on Friday that “no crime” had been committed.
The American comic has called it an “unfortunate incident” and expressed “regret” for “any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members”.
However, he later reposted social media comments claiming he had been a “good comedian” by responding to hecklers, and that allegations of anti-Semitism were being made to “shut down criticism” of Israel.
Tory councillor Paul Edin wrote to Anthony McReavy, the chief executive of East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, asking for the Eastwood Theatre show to be cancelled.
The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities and the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council also complained.
An East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure spokesman said: “We have taken the decision to cancel Eastwood Park Theatre’s scheduled show featuring Reginald D Hunter on Saturday, September 28, due to controversial comments made during a recent performance.
“We defend the freedom of expression of artists and understand that our audiences expect to extend some latitude to many acts, including alternative comedy which may be controversial in places.
“However, we have a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion, which we take seriously. All customers who have purchased tickets for this show will receive a full refund.”
Jackson Carlaw, the local MSP and former Scottish Tory leader, praised the council. He posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Truly disgusting reports from constituents; a visibly disabled Jew humiliated while being hounded out with Hunter allegedly ‘adding fire & energy’ to the braying mob. We must work, as have most politicians, to protect all communities here in Scotland.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We were made aware of a hate incident, which reportedly took place at an event in Edinburgh on Sunday, August 11, 2024. All information gathered was fully reviewed and no crime was established.”
The incident began when Hunter made reference to a Channel 5 documentary titled My Wife, My Abuser, about an abusive partner who publicly claimed that her victim was guilty of abusing her.
Witnesses said Hunter told the audience: “When I saw that, I thought, my God, it’s like being married to Israel.”
Hunter was heard telling the audience members, who said they were from Israel and one of whom was disabled, to leave after they briefly heckled him over the joke, saying it was “not funny”.
As they left his show, called Fluffy Fluffy Beavers, which runs until August 26 at the Fringe, they were booed and heckled with expletives from other audience members after Hunter verbally attacked them.
The comedian allegedly went on to make an anti-Semitic joke about being unable to access a review of one of his shows on a Jewish newspaper’s website. He is reported to have said: “Typical f***ing Jews, they won’t tell you anything unless you subscribe.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism charity described accounts of the events as “extremely concerning” and urged witnesses to come forward.