West End venue drops queer Jewish musical after anti-Israel backlash

Dolev approached Phoenix to stage the reading because “this is such a queer show – it is a queer show more than it is a Jewish show – and I figured it was a good match [with the venue]".

Roi Dolev is considering leaving the UK following the cancellation of his queer musical (Photo: John Clark)[Missing Credit]

He emailed Phoenix to ask about programming and was delighted when they found him a night in July to perform his work-in-progress. “They saw the poster, the full description, and they thought it was cool,” Dolev told the JC. “It was going to be a profit share – we’ve been selling tickets for around a month.”

But late on Sunday night and with no clear explanation, the venue suddenly stopped selling tickets for the show and, hours later, informed Dolev that his show had been cancelled. 

Originally from Tel Aviv, Dolev moved to London after October 7 and has spent the past year writing Useful Idiots, which he describes as a “satirical musical about queer activism, global politics and the unintended consequences of trying to do good”.

A blurb for the show sent to the venue in May stated: “Useful Idiots blends chaos and dark humour to critique binary thinking, performative activism, and the fallout of mindless virtue signalling. They’re here, they’re queer, we’re f**ed.”

Dolev’s previous musical, Two Guys Meet through Grindr and Learn Stuff About Life, was staged in Israel.

Speaking to the JC, Dolev said that after October 7: “Being queer and Jewish, I found for the first time that I did not belong in queer spaces which I always belonged in before.”

His response was to create a work-in-progress show inspired by that experience.

Tickets went on sale on June 10, and on Saturday, Dolev posted the show’s digital poster on Instagram – featuring a watermelon handbag and a rainbow keffiyeh on a beach – along with a link to book tickets.

Phoenix Arts suggested that Dolev collaborate on the Instagram post, meaning the poster would be shared with the venue’s 22k followers.

Dolev's Instagram notifications when he shared the poster (Photo: courtesy)[Missing Credit]

Within minutes, comments on the post appeared stating, “Free Palestine,” “Nobody wants a Zionist play”, and “@phoenixartsclub you should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Less than an hour later, the venue removed itself from collaborating on the post and the image disappeared from their Instagram page. Then Dolev received messages from people trying to book tickets – the link was broken. Unperturbed, he told followers, “No worries, I’m sure Phoenix Arts Club will sort [the ticket link] ASAP.”

But the next morning, he received an email saying the venue had “made the difficult decision to cancel the upcoming performance”, citing concerns about “safety and suitability”.

The email, seen by the JC, added: “We don't feel confident that conditions can be guaranteed for this particular performance… We are open to revisiting future opportunities under more stable circumstances.”

The social media post advertising the performance quickly attracted anti-Israel comments (Photo: courtesy)[Missing Credit]

Dolev said he was devastated, “It all happened so quickly.”

Announcing the cancellation on Instagram, he wrote: “We’re disappointed, but not deterred,” adding that a smaller, invite-only industry reading would take place elsewhere.

But then the owner of Phoenix, Colin Savage, messaged Dolev asking him to take the cancellation post down. He claimed the decision had been made “until we meet and discuss the content” – but Dolev said no such meeting had been requested.

“They completely changed the reason,” he told the JC. “First it was safety, now it’s the content. But they never asked to talk to me.”

Responding the JC’s enquiries, Savage doubled down, stating it was the content of the show – which was agreed with the theatre back in May – which caused the venue to cancel the performance. 

“I do not understand the premise of the show, nor the context of the LGBTQ+ flag or the phrase ‘we’re f***ed’ – particularly as it sets up a divisive ‘they’ versus ‘we’ dynamic,” Savage said.

He asked of the poster: “The use of the LGBTQ+ flag beside the title Useful Idiots — what is the intended message here? Is it implying that LGBTQ+ individuals are ‘idiots’?”

He added: “The line ‘They’re here, they’re queer, we’re f*ed’ — what is this suggesting? That the world is doomed because LGBTQ+ people exist?

“The Phoenix Arts Club is a designated LGBTQ+ Safe Space recognised by Camden Council. Unless I am provided with clear context for both the image and the phrase ‘we’re f***ed,’ I cannot allow this performance to go ahead.”

But Dolev told the JC that he was never asked for this information before the cancellation.

Savage later told the JC: “The decision to cancel was based on the volume of comments we received from the LGBT+ community, not in relation to any ‘Free Palestine’ messages.”

He also claimed the theatre had “made clear to Roi that he was welcome to email, phone, or meet with us to discuss future opportunities”.

The Israeli actor said he had long admired the Phoenix Arts Club as a queer venue and sung there during a recent open mic night. But the backlash has left him questioning his place in the UK.

“On some level, I am in the UK to make art – and I do want to do that. It’s not just about Phoenix...

“Real life is so much more ridiculous than any satire. What I really care about is the musical – I want it to be seen and heard. But obviously not at a venue where we’re not wanted.”

He suggested the experience reflects exactly why he wrote Useful Idiots – and feels excluded once again from queer spaces.

“This was my second Pride month in London and the second time I haven’t gone to the parade. I don’t feel safe in queer spaces.”

Dolev's previous roles include the lead part in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Photo: Guy Hamoy)[Missing Credit]

He was aware of the risks in staging a show about a controversial topic, noting, “The crowd I’m mocking doesn’t do nuance.”

And he recognises the impact that speaking out might have on his career. “I’m 28. I just moved to London. I’m a nobody in this industry. I think [Phoenix] figured I wouldn’t risk my career – but in a way, I kind of am.”

When the JC approached Phoenix Arts Club for comment, Colin Savage accused the paper of “pursuing the wrong line of inquiry”.