Venue admits discrimination by axing Jewish comic's show

Published: 20:04, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 20:06, 17 August 2026 A Jewish comedian has won a legal battle with an Edinburgh Fringe Festival venue after bosses cancelled his show last year. Philip Simon was discriminated against after his show Shall I Compere Thee In A Funny Way was pulled by the Banshee Labyrinth pub due to ‘rhetoric and symbology’. One reason cited by the venue was his attendance at a vigil held in memory of those killed during the Hamas terror attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023. The venue said it had stopped the comedian’s performances due to staff safety concerns despite the show making no reference to the war in Gaza or Israel. In a statement on comedy industry website Chortle, the venue said at the time that he had expressed views that ‘align with the rhetoric and symbology of groups associated with humanitarian violations’. Responding on social media, the performer said: ‘Anyone who knows me will know I have never expressed support for anything other than freeing the hostages and finding a way to peace. I am still processing the concept that in 2025 I can be cancelled just for being Jewish.’ Mr Simon raised a civil action at Edinburgh Sheriff Court against venue owners Morrison Bros Ltd, claiming discrimination on the basis of race, religion, or belief. The company admitted on Monday it had been in breach of the Equality Act 2010. The amount of damages has yet to be decided. Philip Simon was discriminated against after his show was pulled by the Banshee Labyrinth pub The company who own the venue admitted it had been in breach of the Equality Act 2010 Mr Simon said: ‘It is a shame that Banshee Labyrinth decided to let this run all the way to just before the court hearing, rather than accepting any of our previous settlement offers that included an apology, anti-Semitism training, and making a contribution to an anti-Semitism charity.’ Natalie Stone, of Friends in the Arts, which challenges anti-Semitism in the arts, said: ‘Jewish artists should be able to perform and participate in the UK arts without being subjected to discrimination because of their identity.’ A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: ‘Let this serve as an example that venues cannot discriminate against Jewish artists with impunity.’ The venue was approached for comment.  Mr Simon is currently performing in Jew-O-Rama at The Alcove at Laughing Horse @ Bar 50.