- Comedy Show Moves to Scottish Parliament After Cancellations
- Graham Linehan’s Presence Sparks Venue Controversy
- Linehan Considers Legal Action Over Cancellation
After two venues canceled its performance, Comedy Unleashed announced it would “perform on a small stage outside the Scottish parliament.”
A comedy show that was canceled because the original venue objected to Father Ted author Graham Linehan’s presence has decided to perform in front of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.
A second venue had withdrawn, and Comedy Unleashed had notified ticketholders about a third.
Our replacement venue has also canceled on us. But we are still proceeding tonight at 7.30!” was posted on X, formerly Twitter.
At 7:15 p.m., comedian Andrew Doyle tweeted that Linehan and the other performers “will perform on a small stage in front of Holyrood, outside the Scottish parliament.”
He added, “This show is happening, whether these people approve or not.”
Originally, it was scheduled to take place in Leith, near Edinburgh.
However, upon learning that Linehan would be performing, Leith Arches stated that it was unaware of the lineup in advance and that the show was “not a good fit for our venue.”
The creator of The IT Crowd and Black Books, Linehan has been an outspoken opponent of transgender self-identification.
“My most important belief is that it is a crime against humanity to tell children they may have been born in the wrong body,” he has stated.
In addition, he believes that women deserve “fair sport” and that Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies and tennis champion Martina Navratilova have been “abused” for their opinions on trans athletes.
Linehan stated earlier this week that he was considering legal action against Leith Arches.
In an interview with TalkTV on Wednesday, he said on The Julia Hartley-Brewer Breakfast Show. “I would suggest that the Leith Arches reverse its course, as they’ve said enough online for an easy court victory.”
Therefore, if they apologize and proceed with the performance, I will remain silent. In the alternative, I will consider legal action.”
Leith Arches said the show would “negative effect on future bookings” and be “not a good fit” for the venue.
A representative stated, “We are a very tiny, independent company.
“We interact closely with the LGBT+ community; it accounts for a significant portion of our revenue. We believe that hosting this one-time event would negatively impact future appointments.
‘Astonishing’
Doyle, who is also scheduled to appear with Linehan at another Comedy Unleashed show in London the following month, stated, “It is astounding that a comedy night at the world’s largest arts festival should be canceled solely because activists are offended.
The comedy business is in a terrible state. It is time for comedy promoters, venues, comedy critics, and comedians to make a concerted effort to support artistic freedom.”
