A British venue has accepted that its decision to deplatform a Jewish comedian was discriminatory against him because he is Jewish. Banshee Labyrinth made this admission in Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, according to a report by the comedy magazine Chortle.
The venue's admission came during a hearing for a lawsuit filed by the comedian, Philip Simon. Simon had been scheduled to perform a solo show at the Banshee Labyrinth as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in July 2025.
At the time of the cancellation, the venue stated that Simon had expressed opinions on social media that "align with the rhetoric and symbology of groups associated with humanitarian violations." Simon, however, maintained he was deplatformed for being Jewish.
"I have never expressed support for anything other than freeing the hostages and finding a way for peace," Simon wrote on Facebook, according to the report. He had been due to perform a show titled “Shall I Compere Thee In A Funny Way.”
Judge Roderick Flinn indicated that damages would be awarded at a later date, Chortle reported. The venue did not respond to a query from JNS on the matter by press time.