The Stage

Burnley Council fails to see funny side as Hardy’s gig is cancelled

Published Wednesday 3 November 2004 at 17:20 by Ruth Gillespie

Comedian Jeremy Hardy has been banned from performing in Burnley after he said members and supporters of the British National Party should be shot during an interview on BBC Radio 4. Burnley Council, which has six BNP councillors, cancelled Hardy’s gig at the town’s Mechanics Theatre on November 3, claiming the show could be “disruptive”.

The row stems from a comment on Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation in September, when the comedian told listeners: “If you just took everyone from the BNP and everyone who votes for them and shot them in the back of the head, there would be a brighter future for us all.”

Hardy won the Perrier Award for comedy in 1988 and has since toured as a stand-up, written columns for national newspapers, hosted television and radio programmes and appeared in a film. Burnley Council insisted the move was not political, however Mick Cartledge, director of community services, said: “The decision was taken after our attention was drawn to controversial, unsavoury comments made by Mr Hardy on his national radio show, which raised certain concerns.

“We recognise Mr Hardy’s right to voice his sometimes controversial views and the role of satire in his act. However, as a result of his comments, we do not feel the event will be a night of comedy and that the performance has the potential to be disruptive.”