Posted in: Comics | Tagged: jerry sadowitz, margate

Now Jerry Sadowitz Has Been Cancelled By Margate Comedy Club

Three weeks ago, Bleeding Cool reported on Scottish, Jewish comedian, magician and cartoonist Jerry Sadowitz getting cancelled by The Pleasance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and pointed out that he had been literally asking for this for the last few years. As well as the bizarre situation in which the Pleasance knew exactly what they were getting before they did.

As a result of the huge news wave that Sadowitx gained as a result of this, not just in the UK but around the world, Jerry Sadowitz upped his tour numbers. After spending decades playing to small half-empty venues, he started selling them out, adding venues, and adding the 3300-seater Hammersmith Apollo – or Hammersmith Eventim as it is now – a venue he had never been able to play before. I've grabbed a ticket myself because, having seen Jerry Sadowitz a few times over the years, and even appearing on his People Vs Jerry Sadowitz Channel 5 TV show, I really want to see how he copes with success. His stage character generally hates his own audience, he's going to hate the people who turn up at Hammersmith Apollo to see him, when they have never bothered before, even more. And posting on his website, that does seem to be what he is prepared for.

But the first show to follow Edinburgh, was due to take place in the seaside town of Margate, to launch a brand new comedy club, Crack Me Up! comedy at Olby's Studio 2 in Margate on the 17th of September. And to be presented by Walnut Whip, a creative group based in Thanet, headed by veteran music promoter and writer Jim Driver.There were even TikTok videos of people talking about how Jerry Sadowitz may have been cancelled in Edinburgh but "Margate will not be cowed". And obviously you know what is coming next.

The show has been cancelled. The Walnut Whip producers state that "Sadly, the advertised show on September 17th won't now be happening for a variety of reasons. We're still on good terms with Jerry Sadowitz and are hoping to arrange something in the near future." However,  Jerry Sadowitz posted that the issue was with "the owner of the venue" who "read what happened in Edinburgh and has decided to cancel due to me being "unsafe, racist, homophobic and misogynistic." People… I am so much more than that, Comedy Monster."

He certainly is that. Back in 2020, I ran a story about Sadowitz relaunching his comedy show, relying on only a few fans who would come out and see his then-new show, Not For Anyone, held in the height of lockdown. At the time I pointed out that Sadowitz was one of the most brilliant live comedians I had ever seen, and – as well as his magic tricks – performs another trick to portray himself as the very worst of the worst, the scum on your shoe, a person beneath your contempt and for whom the whole world has shat upon. Which meant that any joke he then tells, against any target, using the worst possible language available to him, is somehow punching up.The last time I saw him, he was complaining that no one had tried to cancel him. That, unlike some stars, no one had caught him in a hotel room with two underage girls, and he really wished they would. Though to be fair, he'd just be happy with the hotel room. But he'd also really like the publicity that Louis CK got. He then proceeded to whip his penis out on stage and left it dangling there for some time, just wishing that this might get the Daily Mail outraged at him, but was resigned to the fact that it would not."

Now he has got what he wanted, with sell-out shows for the first time in his life and booking the bigger venues in London rather than the Leicester Square Theatre – who are organising the Hammersmith show. I doubt they'll be cancelling – but what about some of the other venues? He does reject much of the tabloid commentary made about him and his act, stating that he is now just another Jim Davidson and that a lot of thought and care goes into what he does. I was reminded of another of his acts when he broke his act down, explaining to his audience that they were allowed to laugh at awful things he said while in character, and that it was all a manner of "hats" – literal in his case. That when he was wearing his hat, he was in character and you were meant to laugh at him, and when he took it off and spoke, that;'s what he really thought. At which point he turned back to the North London audience in a SS cap and said "right, so what are we going to do about the f*cking Jews then?" I have never heard a simultaneous intake of breath and outburst of laughter from 200 people before.

Bleeding Cool has reached out to Olby's Creative Hub for comment. I expect they may be dealing with a number of other enquiries today as a result of this decision. Can I suggest they come up with a better statement than the Pleasance had? And other news sources, feel free to credit where you first read about this story. Thank you.

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