One of Britain’s top theatres has cancelled a production from Monty Python star Terry Gilliam after staff reportedly complained about the director’s support for Dave Chappelle and his views on transgenderism and the #MeToo movement.
London’s Old Vic theatre cancelled a Terry Gilliam production of Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods after the American member of the Monty Python comedy troupe expressed support for Dave Chappelle in the ongoing transgender backlash over his latest Netflix special The Closer.
In a post on social media, Gilliam encouraged his followers to watch Chappelle’s stand up performance, writing: “To me, he’s the greatest standup comedian alive today: incredibly intelligent, socially aware, dangerously provocative, and gut-wrenchingly funny.”
Chappelle’s latest Netflix special has stirred controversy among the far-left, with employees at the streaming giant staging walkouts over its supposedly transphobic content. The celebrated American comedian has also seen his upcoming documentary blacklisted from film festivals over the controversy.
Watch below:
The support expressed by Terry Gilliam for Chappelle drew the ire of staff at the Old Vic, who apparently succeeded in forcing the theatre to cut ties with the director.
A spokeswoman for the Old Vic told the theatre newspaper The Stage: “The Old Vic and co-producers Scenario Two mutually agreed that the production of Into the Woods will not take place at The Old Vic. We won’t be commenting further.”
Staff had also criticised Gilliam for his history of anti-woke comments, such as criticising the #MeToo movement for turning into a “witch hunt” that targeted some “decent people”.
The Old Vic itself was embroiled in #MeToo scandal after it was revealed that Kevin Spacey, who served as the theatre’s artistic director from 2003 until 2015, was accused of having used his position of power to sexually abuse young male students.
Gilliam previously angered leftists after he declared himself to be a “black lesbian” in response to the BBC chastising Monty Python for lacking “diversity”.
Commenting on the cancellation, British comedian Andrew Doyle said: “[The theatre] industry, like so many others, is now almost entirely captured by this intolerant ideology.”
Reclaim Party leader Laurence Fox — himself a victim of cancel culture — added: “Society is being destroyed in order to pander to a tiny minority of people who will never be satisfied.”
Gilliams’ former Monty Python co-star, John Cleese has also been a frequent critic of cancel culture and is expected to host a Channel 4 programme on the issue.
Deriding the woke movement, Cleese said last year that many politically correct people “have absolutely zero sense of humour” and warned that cancel culture is destroying comedy.
“I would love to debate, in a friendly way, a couple of ‘woke’ people in front of an audience. And I think the first thing I would say is, please tell me a good ‘woke’ joke,” he said.
Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here @KurtZindulka
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.