Lipman, whose acting career spans six decades, has been an outspoken supporter of Israel and has faced campaigns opposing her appearances since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack.
By Shula Rosen
A Northern Irish actor resigned from a London play promoting suicide awareness after objecting to co-star Dame Maureen Lipman’s public views on Israel and the Palestinians.
Gerard McCarthy, who has appeared in BBC dramas, withdrew from the Sept. 10 performance of “Right Before I Go” at London’s Soho Theatre, scheduled for World Suicide Prevention Day.
McCarthy announced his decision over the weekend after learning that Lipman, 80, would join the cast.
“Following the announcement that Dame Maureen Lipman would be joining the company, I privately explained that, because of views she has publicly and repeatedly expressed regarding Israel and Palestine, I did not feel comfortable personally promoting her involvement,” McCarthy said.
He stressed that he had not sought to have Lipman removed from the production or asked others to adopt his position.
“I simply chose not to use my own platform to promote someone whose political views are at odds with my own,” he said.
Lipman, whose acting career spans six decades, has been an outspoken supporter of Israel and has faced campaigns opposing her appearances since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack.
In May, Scottish police investigated a social media post depicting the British-Jewish actress with devil horns following a complaint connected to an online campaign against her scheduled performance in Aberdeen.
More recently, Lipman criticized opposition to Boy George appearing in the West End production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” The singer had faced pressure over his pro-Israel song “We Will Dance Again.”
“A group of sanctimonious actors forced Boy George out of his contract to play King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar,” Lipman wrote, saying he had “defended Israel’s right to defend itself after the Hamas pogrom.”
Lipman has also addressed efforts to boycott her own performances, writing that protesters had targeted appearances in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Bath because of her support for Israel’s right to exist.
She said a group called Mensch later appeared in London “to protest against the protestors. God bless them.”
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