Activists disrupt London reading of play on LGBTQ+ Palestinians

A London theatre event featuring a play about LGBTQ+ Palestinians seeking refuge in Israel was disrupted by activists during a post-show discussion, prompting some audience members to leave early.

The rehearsed reading of Sharif, written by Israeli journalist and playwright Tomer Aldubi, took place on Tuesday evening at King’s Head Theatre, following an earlier performance at JW3.

The production explores the experiences of LGBTQ+ Palestinians who flee to Israel to escape persecution, drawing on real-life testimonies and years of research.

But what had been intended as a facilitated Q&A with the creative team became increasingly hostile, according to an attendee who spoke to Jewish News.

The attendee said the evening “started out as a civilised, convivial event” before a number of individuals appeared to take over the discussion.

“I was sitting next to one of them, and I could see he hadn’t come to experience the play,” they said. “His hand shot up the minute the Q&A began, and he read out a pre-written statement attacking Tomer and the state of Israel.”

They added that others joined in, turning the discussion into “an outpouring of hateful rhetoric”.

“What was meant to be an informed discussion degenerated into a vile onslaught of loathing and hatred towards Israel,” the attendee said.

During the exchange, one audience member was heard shouting accusations at Israelis, while others joined in with criticism of the country and its people.

Some Jewish attendees attempted to respond while others chose to leave.

“I had to leave. It was just too upsetting,” one theatregoer said. “It’s so awful, and you are never going to change their views or their hatred. It’s pointless trying to answer back.”

In a statement to Jewish News, the theatre confirmed it was aware the Q&A had become “heated” and that there had been disruption during the discussion.

Staff intervened as tensions escalated, with a duty manager entering the auditorium and ending the session early.

“The Q&A was overseen by a member of our Front of House team. As the discussion became increasingly heated, our Duty Manager was called into the auditorium,” a spokesperson said.

“They made the decision to bring the Q&A to a close and asked the audience to leave. While most attendees complied promptly, a small number of individuals sought to continue the discussion, which meant it took some time to fully clear the space.”

The theatre said the audience eventually dispersed without any physical incident. Security staff were placed on standby but were not ultimately required to intervene.

The reading was produced by Dirty Laundry Theatre as part of the play’s development ahead of a planned world premiere later this year.

Responding to the incident, a spokesperson for Dirty Laundry Theatre said: “The emotions in the room reflected very real pain carried by people across different experiences and perspectives. These are deeply personal realities, and it’s not surprising that they surface strongly in spaces like theatre, where difficult stories are being held publicly.

“What felt important to me afterward was that, once outside, the tone shifted significantly. The conversation continued in a calmer way, and we were able to speak more directly and personally. In the end, we parted respectfully – even sharing a hug goodbye – which, to me, reflected the possibility of dialogue even after moments of tension.”

Aldubi told Jewish News: “They clearly came prepared just to attack. What is the point of pure hatred when this was meant to be a collaboration? They think they’ll achieve something by shouting and quoting me as if I were a politician… This creates more animosity towards Palestinians and won’t achieve anything good.

“They simply don’t care about the queer community; not once did they acknowledge the fact that so many gay people cannot live authentically in the West Bank, Gaza, or any other Arab country. If they are so eager to talk about the occupation, they are welcome to do so. However, they cannot tell me what I can or cannot write about – especially since this was written with such sensitivity and based on years of research, interviews, and volunteering.”

The event had been intended to encourage cross-community discussion around complex political and human rights issues following the performance.