A Jewish comedian who says her original comedy slot at Edinburgh Fringe was cancelled by the venue has told Sky News she will now be able to perform at the event after being offered new locations.
Rachel Creeger: Ultimate Jewish Mother will take place across two different venues in the city – The Big Tent at Hoots @ Nicolson Square Gardens, and Dirty Martini at Le Monde.
Last month, Creeger said her original venue, Whistle Binkies, called her and fellow Jewish comedian Philip Simon to cancel their slots.
In a new statement announcing the move, she said it would be “a few days before the street marketing” in Edinburgh “can be amended or new flyers arrive so please do spread the word and let people know of the new time and location”.
She also thanked the new venues for allowing the show to retain “unticketed status”, which allows “those who cannot afford to pay to see the show for free, and those who are able to pay to donate what they can afford”.
The comedian added: “I would also like to extend my thanks and appreciation to everyone who has reached out over the past couple of weeks with support and offers of help. You have kept my heart warm through an otherwise dark and cold time.”
As Britain’s only touring comedian who is also a practising Orthodox Jew, Creeger says she and other Jewish comedians have experienced a significant increase in antisemitism while performing over the past two years.
She says her show is in no way political.
“We’re not the people making the trouble,” she told Sky News last week. “I’ve never caused harm anywhere; my show doesn’t do that, my show is lovely.”
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Creeger said she was given three reasons for her original slot being cancelled: concerns raised by staff to the venue about safety, graffiti following previous performances, and a “vigil for IDF soldiers” she says the venue initially claimed had been held during her performance last year.
She said the venue later had to admit this vigil had not taken place and that she did not see evidence of graffiti herself last year. “We’re not the ones writing it… but if it was bothering them and they worried it was bothering us, then maybe we’d have volunteered to help them – or to help clean it,” she said.
Responding to the apparent safety concerns, she said: “It’s a pub in Edinburgh, it’s a music venue, they themselves have bouncers most evenings… And perhaps they might say if there’s a concern about extra risk, we should do all we can to make our performers safe.”
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The Fringe Society, which organises the comedy festival, has said its role is to provide support and advice to all participants “with a vision to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat”.
A spokesperson explained they do not manage or programme venues and “we understand that the show cancellations have been a choice made by the venue”.
Whistle Binkies has not responded to multiple requests by Sky News for comment.
Police Scotland told Sky News last week that it had not “received any reports of concern” about Creeger’s show.
