The show WILL go on! Jewish comedian finds new venues for Edinburgh Fringe Act

A Jewish comedian whose Edinburgh Fringe show was in jeopardy after a venue abruptly cancelled her booking has found new locations for her performances, meaning she will be able to perform as part of the nation’s best-known comedy festival.

Rachel Creeger and Philip Simon made national headlines after their shows were abruptly cancelled by Whistle Binkies, a venue in the city which had previously hosted them for a number of years. The Jewish comedians were informed of the cancellation via the Fringe itself, with the venue failing to contact them directly – staff “safety concerns” were given as an excuse.

In a piece for Jewish News last week, Creeger described how last year she had been told by the venue that “We’ll look after you, no one messes with OUR Jews”. She also said the venue had claimed that “one of the shows had held a vigil for a fallen IDF soldier, but retracted this when challenged – I assume because it’s quite hard to prove something that simply didn’t happen.”

However, in a social media post this afternoon, Creeger said:

I am relieved to announce that my show, Ultimate Jewish Mother, has been offered new homes at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025. From 7th–17th I’ll be performing in The Big Tent at Hoots @ Nicolson Square Gardens, and from 18th–24th in Dirty Martini at Le Monde, all shows are at 12.30pm (no Saturdays – it’s my real life, not a character!) It will be a few days before the street marketing all over the city can be amended or new flyers arrive so please do spread the word and let people know of the new time and location, more information can be found on the EdFringe website.”

The comedian went on to express “immense gratitude to the teams at Hoots and Le Monde for generously allowing me to retain the unticketed status of the show, allowing those who cannot afford to pay to see the show for free, and those who are able to pay to donate what they can afford.

“I would also like to extend my thanks and appreciation to everyone who has reached out over the past couple of weeks with support and offers of help. You have kept my heart warm through an otherwise dark and cold time.”

In her piece for Jewish News last week, Creeger had said: “Both Philip and I are not victims, we are experienced performers. We will dust ourselves off, and whether or not another venue turns up, this will become part of our story and in time, comedy material.”