Jerry Sadowitz, 60, was scheduled to play two nights at The Pleasance venue
A controversial comedian has been cancelled by an Edinburgh Fringe venue after he ‘got his penis out on stage’ and made ‘indefensible jokes’ on his opening night.
Jerry Sadowitz, 60, who also performs magic, was scheduled to play at The Pleasance at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Friday and Saturday.
But the American-born Scot took to social media to reveal that his second night would not be going ahead, before the venue confirmed that it had been pulled because his material ‘does not align with our values.’
One female audience member claimed he got his penis out in front of a woman on the front row and used a racial slur to describe Rishi Sunak, the Scottish Sun reported.
It was not clear if the allegedly exposed genitals were a prop.
She told the paper: ‘I was at the show. He called Rishi Sunak a ‘p***’; said the economy was awful because it is run by ‘blacks and women’.
‘He got his penis out to a woman in the front row. The problem was not the audience – I knew he was an acquired taste. It was his indefensible content’.
The Pleasance has so far refused to confirm what part of the act was deemed offensive, but it said in a statement that ‘opinions such as those displayed by Sadowitz are not acceptable.’
MailOnline has contacted Sadowitz for comment.
Some furious fans said bosses already knew he was controversial, as the original listing carried a warning which read: ‘This show contains strong language and themes some may find distressing.’
A few took to Twitter to brand The Pleasance ‘pathetic’, while others said the cancellation amounted to ‘censorship’.
One fan said she thoroughly enjoyed the set but that about ’20 lefties’ had walked out mid-way through.
Revealing the decision, Sadowitz said on Twitter: ‘Did a show last night, 75 mins, thought it went well. Didn’t see any walkouts.
‘Today I’m told my show’s been cancelled. Great stuff. I’m truly sorry for everyone who travelled to see the show tonight.’
The Pleasance Theatre Trust said the second performance had been cancelled ‘with immediate effect’.
t said in a statement: ‘Opinions such as those displayed on stage by Sadowitz are not acceptable and The Pleasance are not prepared to be associated with such material.’
In a recent promo video, Sadowitz held up a bird puppet as he told would-be patrons what they could expect.
Referring to himself, Sadowitz said: ‘He’s gonna be funny. He’s gonna be rude. He’s gonna do magic tricks.
‘He’s gonna do impressions. He’s gonna get his d*** out.
‘He’s gonna do every f****** thing, so make sure you go and see him.’
A further show description vowed he would return with his ‘whacky impressions of Greta Thunberg, Frankie Boyle and deep vein thrombosis’.
Jerry Sadowitz announces his show’s cancellation on Twitter, in a move branded ‘pathetic’ and ‘depressing’ by his fans
It said he ‘also promises to do less hate-fuelled swearing and focus more on faux liberal pish in order to appeal to the middle class and their disposable income and personalities’.
He added: ‘Please note that I might just do card tricks and say nothing for a whole hour or I might just do the usual ‘screaming fascist’ schtick. Or both.
‘Patrons may wish to drink alcohol pre-show to avoid boredom, embarrassment and guilt.’
Announcing the show’s cancellation, The Pleasance director, Anthony Alderson, added: ‘The Pleasance is a venue that champions freedom of speech and we do not censor comedians’ material.
‘While we acknowledge that Jerry Sadowitz has often been controversial, the material presented at his first show is not acceptable and does not align with our values.
‘This type of material has no place on the festival and the Pleasance will not be presenting his second and final show.’
Refunds will be issued to those who bought tickets to the Saturday show, the venue said.
