A 'crass and unedifying' row

Several comics have pulled their shows from a London theatre in an extraordinary row over unpaid bills.

Josh Widdicombe, Jeremy Hardy, Seann Walsh, Shappi Khorsandi and Marcus Brigstocke have all had gigs dropped from the forthcoming programme of Secombe Theatre in Sutton because of the dispute with very little notice. Widdicombe was due to play there only next week.

Their agency, Off The Kerb, axed the shows in a row over £3,432  of box office money they say they are owed for another of their clients, Mark Steel, three months ago.

The company has warned people about the ‘financial instability’ of the trust which runs the venues – and in return, Sutton Theatres accused Off The Kerb of a ‘crass and unedifying way to conduct business’.

A spokesman for Off The Kerb told Chortle they have tried ‘numerous times’ to contact the venue ‘with no response whatsoever’ so had no choice but to pull the shows.

‘We have done our best to bring top-quality performances to the area, but due to the financial instability of the company none of our acts will be going ahead,’ financial manager Ann Kennedy said.

The venue has not responded to Chortle’s request for comment, but they told the local Sutton Guardian they were not in financial difficulties.

Executive director Beri Juraic said Off the Kerb’s ‘threat’ to cancel performances were a breach of contract, and said the alert to fans was  ‘a crass and unedifying way to conduct business and certainly not one we wish to join them in’.

It is currently impossible to buy tickets for any shows on the Sutton Theatres website, including performances from non-Off The Kerb comedians such as Andrew Lawrence and Sofie Hagen.

A spokesman told the local Guardian that the system was down ‘due to holidays and maintenance period’.

Published: 11 Aug 2016