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Comedian’s libel claim to end if he does not pay legal costs to Soho Theatre
Paul Currie has been given 14 days to pay £15,922 after failing to overturn a ruling on the meaning of the theatre’s statement
The libel claim of a comedian accused of abusing Jewish members of the audience at the Soho Theatre will be struck out if he does not pay the legal costs he owes, a judge at the High Court has ruled.
Paul Currie began legal action following publication of a press release from the central London theatre on 13 February, 2024 that said Jewish audience members were abused during one of his shows a few nights earlier.
It read: “On Saturday evening, following the end of Paul Currie’s show Shtoom, Jewish members of the audience were subjected to verbal abuse and the performer aggressively demanding they leave the theatre.”
It also said Mr Currie would not be allowed to perform at the venue again.
After the show, the Campaign Against Antisemitism said Jewish audience members had been “hounded out” and that Mr Currie had demanded to know why one person had not stood up to applaud when he brought out Ukrainian and Palestinian flags.
Mr Currie lost an appeal on the first stage of the case in March and was ordered to make an initial payment of £15,922 towards the theatre’s legal costs – but did not do so.
On Monday, Judge David Cook said Mr Currie must pay the costs within 14 days or his libel claim will end and not be allowed to proceed to a trial.
Zillur Rahman, representing Mr Currie, said this order would lead to the claim being struck out as the comedian cannot make the payment.
He said Mr Currie is not working due to caring responsibilities.
However Gervase de Wilde, representing the theatre, said Mr Currie had not told the court he was performing for three weeks at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
At a preliminary hearing last year, Mr Justice Nicklin made a ruling about what the average person would have understood from the press release, and Mr Currie’s appeal against the definition was later dismissed and he was ordered to pay costs.
Judge Cook said: “The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal in pretty robust terms, holding that the judge was fully entitled to come to the view he had.”
He said Mr Currie had not communicated with the theatre about the funds owned and had not responded to their application to the court until late on Friday.
He said: “The evidence submitted by the claimant in the circumstances of this case is, in my submission, too little and too late.”
He said details given by Mr Currie about one current account did not show anything relating to the Edinburgh Fringe, suggesting there may be other accounts.
The judge said Mr Currie must also pay the theatre’s costs of £12,500 for Monday’s hearing within two weeks.
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