Creeger said they were made to feel they “were no longer welcome” when informed on Friday 12 July they could no longer perform – just two weeks before the Fringe begins on 1 August. This is despite the fact the issue was apparently raised in May, as Luke Meredith, CEO of the PBH Free Fringe – host of Creeger and Simon’s shows – told Chortle. “I thought at the time, having explained that the police were only taking precautions and no actual threats had been made, that the matter had been resolved.”
At such short notice, it’ll be next to impossible for Creeger and Simon to find new venues, which will be a huge financial blow to the artists. Last year The Scotsman reported that it can cost anywhere between £1,000, to perform in a pub, to £25,000 for a theatre, at the festival – and that’s before accommodation fees. “Not only has this cost money and taken a huge amount of time,” said Simon, “but more than that, it’s hurtful. Instead of reassuring the bar staff who raised concerns, the solution was to remove the Jews from the bill.”
