From a poster on another forum
I was there on Saturday night. Will be forthcoming with my bias and say that I love Paul Currie and his act. I've seen him about five times over the last decade.
In this show, Schtoom, he doesn't say a single word during the hour.
The bit with the Palestine flag came towards the end of the show. He pulls out the Ukrainian flag from his prop suit case, to cheers from the audience. And then a Palestinian flag to further cheers. I can't remember what the song being played in the background was but it was something up standing up and not staying silent. He them mimes sitting down in front of the tv clicking through the channels at which the point the music switches off. He then mimed gestures to the effect of 'that's you that is', 'makes you think', and 'mind blown.' I know I don't need to explain how comedy works on this forum but it's clearly a bit about how people will display support through slogans but do nothing and forget about it in their day to day life.
If you've seen him before you'll know he essentially acts a like conductor for the audience, getting us to ooh and aah and applause and whoop and boo.
At the end, he urges everyone into a standing ovation using this tactic. Some people in the front row didn't stand, which is fair enough. He asked them why they didn't, if they didn't enjoy the show. I guess this could be considered goading, but it's what he's been doing all night. For example, pointing at people and miming their blank expressions and folded arms and asking them to smile and laugh. Or it could be genuine ask for feedback, you know like most comics do at the end of a gig in a "did you enjoy the show" sort of way.
Now I didn't hear what was said, obviously the audience isn't miced up. But it was something a long the lines of that they did until he showed the Palestinian flag, or they didn't and especially after he showed the flag.
Paul was a bit confused and rattled by it, as was the audience. He wasn't sure if they were being sarcastic or not so he asked them to explain. Again, I didn't hear the explanation. But it did make him angry.
That's when he told them that if they didn't like they can get the fuck out of his show. And for anyone who didn't like it to also get out. A group of people did.
As they were leaving, Paul said they had no idea what they were on about. Paul grew up in Belfast, he understands terrorism and bombing. He's lived through the troubles. Clear emphasis on 'lived' - if there wasn't a ceasefire, he wouldn't here.
I think one other audience member may have also shouted fuck off. But it definitely wasn't 200 people shouting get out. Or free Palestine. People at the back of the room wouldn't have even known entirely what had happened.
I think the audience was a bit confused, I was on row C (though Downstairs at Soho Is set up like cabaret so it's round tables rather than theatre seating). We weren't sure if it was or wasn't a bit. But when he spoke about NI people cheered for him. When he chanted ceasefire now, some of the audience also did.
Also important to say that he condemn Hamas and say he hates terrorism, all terrorism.
He was angry. Of course his is. He's showing solidarity for Palestinian artists, performers and clowns. That we wouldn't have enjoyed his performance if there wasn't a ceasefire because he literally wouldn't have been here.
Also important to say that not once did he say anything about Jewish people or Israel. All he did was show the Palestine flag, and the Ukrainian flag, to mock people who say they care about a cause but do nothing. To be honest, he was mocking me.
He asked to call it what it was. A genocide.
What's really tedious about this is that it takes a quick look at his Instagram to see where his stance lies. I can't imagine paying upwards of £15 to see anyone without looking them up first, and especially to sit on the front row. But maybe that's just me.
This has nothing to do with Soho. Paul has done this show for the three or four day run without incident.
We left soon after so I didn't stay at the bar at the end, not sure if anything happened there.
I wouldn't usually post here but I think it's so important to actually explain what happened, and the context of the actual joke that caused all this. Rather than people on twitter piling on something they don't know anything about.
It's a pretty wild experience to have been part of an audience that is getting all this attention. Really clear to see how all this hate and misinformation spreads.
Also, it's majestic to see that many of the people who are piling on, and one of the Twitter accounts that first posted about this is, are online Terfs. Tells you everything you need to know really.
Paul Currie is sweet clown and must be protected at all costs.
