Hear the stand-off with Benjamin Crellin

A disgruntled punter called the police after taking objection to a comedian’s material

Two officers were dispatched to the Leicester Square Theatre on Friday after receiving complaints about Benjamin Crellin’s routine.

They said they had been tipped off about his ‘offensive and inappropriate’ set – and although they took a note of his name from the venue’s staff, the PCs did not talk directly to Crellin.

It followed a tense stand-off during the gig in the small studio space, when a heckler in the second row stood up stood up to intimidate the New Zealand comic.

The stand-up admits his set was ‘pretty flat’ while trying out material for his forthcoming Edinburgh show, Comic Of Duty

He explained: ‘I was getting laughs from the 30 or so audience members. but it was sparse.’

And when he cut to new material comparing the victims of Jimmy Saville to the victims of landmines, it proved too much for one man, who interrupted him with the heckle: ‘We’d rather have comedy' and complained that the material 'is not satire.’

Crellin came back with: ‘Bro, I’m a five-star comic and been going 16 years and I don’t care...’

Heckler: ‘Really? Seriously?’

Crellin: ‘Absolutely.’

Heckler: ‘You’re the star act?’

Crellin: ‘Absolutely.’

Heckler: ‘You need to fuck off.’

Crellin: ‘Why?’

Heckler: ‘Cos you’re shit.’

Crellin: ‘If you don’t like me, how about you fuck off..’

Heckler: ‘Seriously?’

Crellin: ‘Dude, I’m just responding to you. You told me to fuck off.’

Heckler: ‘You’re putting your political views against everyone else in here.’

Crellin: ‘That’s freedom of speech.’

Heckler: ‘You’re preaching! You’re fucking preaching.’

Crellin tries to respond, but the punter insists, very forcefully: ‘Put your views back!’

Crellin: ‘What do you do?’

Heckler [to the audience]: ‘Are people comfortable with his views?’ There is some mumbling, then he says: ‘No. Not at all.’

Crellin then again tries to make a point about freedom of speech, and the man says: ‘Seriously. Fuck off.’

Crellin: ‘What do you mean, fuck off? Are you threatening me? If you don’t like it, sir, the door’s right there.’

Heckler: ‘You’re lucky it’s plastic bottles.’

Crellin: ‘Why am I lucky it’s plastic bottles, sir?’

There is then further argument, where Crellin tries to ascertain the threat, while the heckler again accuses the comic of ‘preaching’, adding: ‘You’re not comedy.’

Crellin: ‘Dude, it’s a comedy show...’

Heckler: ‘All I’m asking you to do is not to preach.’

Crellin: ‘You’re destroying a piece of entertainment, that’s what you are doing.’

Heckler, sarcastically: ‘We’re all stood here laughing?’

There is then some jumbled conversation in which the heckler finds someone else, believed to be his friend who agrees: ‘He’s too heavy’ while Crellin maintains he’s exercising the freedom of speech that troops are fighting for.

Venue boss Martin Witts then intervenes and offers the disgruntled man his money back, He asks if everyone else was happy with the show and no one else complains or leaves.

Crellin told Chortle: ‘This so completely killed the gig, I didn’t even try to win it back. The reason I didn't try to be more entertaining with the man’s interjection was that he was only in the second row and he stood up and was acting aggressively from the start, so I was genuinely on my guard

‘Following Jim Jefferies’ experience [when he was punched on stage at the Manchester Comedy Store], I no longer take any chances when a large muscled heckler is so close to the stage and already out of his seat – and this guy was easily bigger than me.

‘This is nothing new for me. I’ve had walkouts in my time, as my style is not for everyone. What’s interesting is how clear of mind the guy seems. He’s quite sober, and he never confirms which bit of the material has upset him.’

Witts added: ‘It was democracy in action! A vigorous debate, and pretty much what happens when comedy is raw and in its early stages.’

The gig called C$R$E$A$M, was advertised as a new material night, and the incident came right at the end of the show.

Crellin learned the police had paid a visit as he left after the show, in what staff believed was an unprecedented intervention. However, they did not speak to the comic directly.

Published: 29 May 2013