Comedian 'hounds Jewish audience member out of his show'

Paul Currie could face legal action after being accused of inciting antisemitic chants against audience members during his comedy show.

The comic is said to have led chants of ‘get out’ and ‘free Palestine’ directed at one Israeli man  at London’s Soho Theatre at the weekend.

A complaint has been circulating on social media, said to be from another audience member whose party also left during the barracking, saying they, too, felt threatened.

The ruckus apparently started after Currie produced the Palestinian flag during his show, Shtoom, and came to a head when the comic orchestrated his own standing ovation at the end.

Currie spotted one man who remained in his seat and asked him  why he didn’t stand, saying: ‘Didn’t you enjoy my show?’

The man, who is said to be Israeli, replied: ‘I enjoyed your show until you brought out the Palestinian flag.’

It provoked Currie to order him out of the theatre. According to the message being circulated online, this went beyond a joke and ‘escalated into screaming at this young man, [with Currie] repeatedly shouting "Leave my fucking show, Now!" "Get out now"’

The young man and his partner rose to leave, as did the group of four people behind the message of complaint, who said they did not want to be part of an antisemitic rant and were feeling unsafe.

They said: ‘By the time we exited, what felt like the entire audience were up on their feet shouting "Free Palestine" "get out"!’

According to the complaint, those who left were on the receiving end of aggressive and threatening glares from other audience members as they left.

The complaint goes on to claim that other audience members told them that after they left, ‘the situation became even more inflamed’.

They added: ‘What had been intended to be an evening of comedy turned out to be what felt like an antisemitic rally.’

The Campaign Against Antisemitism is working with those who made the complaint and is considering legal avenues.

A spokesperson said: 'What the Jewish audience members have recounted is atrocious, and we are working with them and our lawyers to ensure that those who instigated and enabled it are held to account.

'These allegations are of deeply disturbing discriminatory abuse against Jews. Comedians are rightly given broad latitude, but hounding Jews out of theatres is reminiscent of humanity’s darkest days, and must have no place in Central London in 2024.'

In a statement, Soho Theatre said: 'We are sorry and saddened by an incident that took place at our venue at the end of a performance of Paul Currie: Shtoom on Saturday 10 February which has caused upset and hurt to members of [the] audience attending and others.

'We take this very seriously and are looking into the detail of what happened as thoroughly, as sensitively, and as quickly as we can. It is important to us that Soho Theatre is a welcoming and inclusive place for all.'

Chortle has approached Paul Currie for comment, but he has not responded.

On Instagram yesterday, Currie posted a quote from Mexican poet Cesar A. Cruz saying: ’Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable’ and added: ‘If you were at my show last night… you’ll know’.

He has also posted footage of himself on a pro-Palestine march as well as reports on the casualties Israel has inflicted on the citizens of Gaza as it continues its onslaught in response to the October 7 atrocities committed by Hamas.

Jewish comic Josh Howie said he had spoken to one of those who had been hounded out of the show, posting on X: ‘This man was dignified, shaken, but defiant. Jews will not allow ourselves to be ostracised from public spaces.’

Soho Theatre is built on the Dean Street site where the West End Great Synagogue used to stand, and still displays a mizrach – the plaque traditionally placed on the east wall of a Jewish building – commemorating that history.

Full text of the complaint circulating online

On Saturday night, 10th February 2024, my wife and I, along with two friends went to see a show called Shtoom by comedian Paul Currie, at the Soho Theatre, Dean Street, London W1D 3NE. We are all in our mid sixties. There were approximately 200 people in attendance for the one-hour show.

About 5-10 minutes from the end, Paul Currie retrieved two props from his box, one a Ukranian flag, the other a Palestinian one. Naturally we started to feel uneasy, but nothing prepared us for what followed.

Minutes later, the Comedian had encouraged the audience to stand at the end of the show, a kind of standing ovation, and when we all sat down again, he looked towards a young man sat in the second row and said "you didn’t stand, why? Didn’t you enjoy my show?". The young man, who soon after we discovered was Israeli, replied "I enjoyed your show until you brought out the Palestinian flag". 

Paul Currie retorted "get out of my show!", which instantaneously escalated in to screaming at this young man, repeatedly shouting "Leave my fucking show, Now!" "Get out now" "I’m from Northern Island, we know all about cease fire, get the fuck out of my show". 

The young man and his partner rose to leave, and the four of us immediately rose to exit as well, as we both did not want to be part of an antisemitic rant, as well as feeling unsafe. By the time we exited, what felt like the entire audience were up on their feet shouting "free Palestine" "get out"!

Shaken and feeling threatened by the growing antagonism, we exited and tried to complain/ get some support from the front-of-house team at the theatre, who were not very sympathetic but did give us an email address to make a complaint. By this time, the show had ended and the audience started exiting, a number of whom were glaring at us aggressively and in a very threatening way. We all left the scene.

Our friends later received a message from someone they knew who had also been at the show, saying that after we left, the situation became even more inflamed. What had been intended to be an evening of comedy turned out to be what felt like an antisemitic rally.

We will be contacting Soho theatre to complain about Paul Currie, and are wondering if you have any suggestions of where else to report this. The UK Comedy Guild perhaps, although we do not know whether Mr Currie is a member of this organisation.

I look forward to your reply and any guidance you’re able to give us.

Published: 12 Feb 2024