Just For Laughs London provokes outrage with heavy-handed security
- Comedians and audience members have voiced their displeasure with security at a Stamptown show which was part of the first Just For Laughs festival in London
- Headliner Jazz Emu and host Zach Zucker were grabbed and dragged off stage by venue staff when the show overran
- Desiree Burch has described the incident as "traumatizing" and called on the O2 and the Just For Laughs Festival to apologise
Comedians and audience members have expressed outrage at heavy-handed security employed at the first Just For Laughs Festival in London, where Stamptown headliner Jazz Emu and host Zach Zucker were dragged off stage by venue staff.
With the late-night variety show at the O2 Spiegeltent on March 3rd overrunning slightly, musical comic Jazz Emu, whose real name is Archie Henderson, was "manhandled" off mere minutes into his slot. Video footage posted on social media shows Zucker suffering a similar fate.
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The show's opener, Desiree Burch, who stayed to watch the rest of the gig, described the incident as "traumatizing", calling on the O2 and the Just For Laughs Festival to address the incident and apologise.
In a Twitter thread, the London-based American comic pointed out that there are established protocols to discourage comedians from overrunning, such as fines and raising the house lights.
And she emphasised: "AT NO POINT SHOULD HANDS HAVE BEEN PUT ON A PERFORMER (WHO WAS LIFTED AND CARRIED OFFSTAGE) BY SECURITY. I've been a performer for 20+ years & honestly never seen this mishegoss b4 in my life."
She added: "I can only imagine how traumatizing it was for the artist - not knowing what was happening as a physically dominant person carried them away mid-performance.
"This was on top of having their chance to perform at #JFLLONDON taken away instantaneously and unceremoniously through no fault of their own. On the real, it was traumatizing to watch as an audience member. Only to then be abruptly rushed out of the venue by security.
"I'm also not asking for any public display of punishment for security or festival staff - in fact, such acts only generally occur so companies can divest themselves of responsibility/involvement. I do think an apology to the artist and those at the show is in order.
"TBH, the display that occurred on Friday night and the response to it took longer than the closer's act would have done. I also think it's vital to figure out communication between the festival and the venue for the future.
"Other instances of confused communication between artists/festival & venue staff were observed. It's also necessary to train staff on best practice for a show that threatens a noise ordinance b/c it's happening in a [freezing cold] outdoor venue/tent.
"It sadly made for an unwelcoming experience for those attending an otherwise delightful performance at this year's #JFLLondon. I hope the festival will continue and grow here in London, but what I witnessed on Friday can't ever happen again."
Henderson attempted to laugh off the incident, with his alter-ego angling for a compensatory booking.
Jazz Emu suggested he had been "dump-tackled offstage" by security, "rumour has it for for being too potently seductive! Once again I am forced to curse this erogenously Tiny Butt."
He added: "The only compensation I will accept is a headline show in @theo2 arena, in which I'm permitted to carry each individual member of security offstage one by one as revenge."
So far, no compensatory headline show has been forthcoming.
And neither the O2 Arena or Just For Laughs London have publicly apologised for what happened at the Stamptown show, which also featured Reggie Watts, Flo & Joan, Olga Koch, Michelle Brasier, Josh Glanc and Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Sam Campbell among others.
Staff at the Spiegeltent have also been criticised for their treatment of the audience, with @Atomicrelish alleging that "the security were rude before the show too".
Several posts on social media expressed incredulity that the physical removal of the comedians wasn't a stunt and part of the show.
@stupididioms called it: "Some of the worst security management I've ever seen. (And I've been to some bad venues in my time). No one was even playing after AFAIK. So it was all so the security team could pack in on time."
Molly Wyatt, a comedy PR manager for Sky who was present, added: "Stamptown was still class though, just a shame about the shit party poopers running the festival."
Hosted by Zucker - who is currently in Los Angeles shooting former Edinburgh Comedy Award best newcomer Natalie Palamides' multicam sitcom pilot, That's What He Said!, in the guise of her male alter-ego Nate Palamino - Stamptown has featured at festivals throughout the world, with upcoming bookings in Los Angeles, Melbourne and Glasgow over the course of the next month.
British Comedy Guide has sought comment from Just For Laughs and the O2 and reached out to some of the acts involved in the Stamptown show. But they have declined to speak on the record.
Update: Joint statement from The O2, AEG Presents & Just For Laughs
The following joint statement from The O2, AEG Presents and Just For Laughs has since been issued:
"On Friday 3 March at the Stamptown event at Just For Laughs London, there was an attempt to remove one of the artists from the stage, due to the event running significantly past curfew.
"We sincerely apologise to the artists and fans present for any distress caused. This is not usual protocol for events at The O2, or events conducted by AEG Presents or Just For Laughs. We have reached out to Jazz Emu's team to apologise and address this directly."