Boy George pulls out of Jesus Christ Superstar over pro-Israel controversy
The Culture Club singer will no longer appear as King Herod in the London Palladium production after his manager confirmed his withdrawal following controversy surrounding his latest song.
Boy George has withdrawn from his scheduled appearance in Jesus Christ Superstar over pro-Israel controversy.
The Culture Club singer, 65, had been due to play King Herod between 3 and 15 August as part of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice rock opera, in which the role is shared by a number of guest performers, but his withdrawal from the project was announced by his manager Paul Kemsley on Thursday (30.07.26) at the London Palladium just days before he was due to begin performances, with his management confirming the decision follows controversy surrounding his recently released pro-Israel song, We Will Dance Again.
The development comes after the release of We Will Dance Again, a song addressing the 7 October Hamas attacks and the war in Gaza, which has prompted criticism online.
Paul said on Instagram: “After careful consideration, I have decided, in my capacity as Boy George’s manager, that he will no longer be appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium.
“The decision has been made with the utmost respect for the producers, the creative team and the entire company. We are grateful for the professionalism and understanding they have shown throughout and sincerely wish everyone involved every success with the production.”
Paul apologised to those who had bought tickets to see Boy George perform.
He said: “We also recognise that many people purchased tickets in the hope of seeing George perform.
“To those fans, we offer our sincere apologies for the disappointment this decision may cause, and we are deeply grateful for their continued loyalty and support.”
Addressing the singer’s recently released song, Paul added: “George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that.
“Equally, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist while also showing respect to others.
“In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus, while ensuring everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill.”
Jesus Christ Superstar is currently running at the London Palladium with Sam Ryder in the title role, alongside Tyrone Huntley as Judas and Desmonda Cathabel as Mary Magdalene.
The production features a rotating line-up of performers as King Herod, including Richard Armitage, Layton Williams, Julian Clary, Simon Russell Beale and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Following strong demand, the production is scheduled to transfer to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London for a 12-week run in October, with Sam remaining in the lead role before a nationwide tour next year.
Among the lyrics of We Will Dance Again are the lines: “You say genocide, I say war / When you’re attacked, that’s what the army’s for / Does it get ugly? You bet it does / When I know you wanna kill every last one of us.”
Elsewhere in the song, Boy George sings: “Young girls raped against trees / Murdered brutally / For the crime of dancing.”
The chorus includes the lyrics: “There will be no war / But if you’re ever confused / I stand with the Jews / I don’t feel brave, I just need to behave like a human.”
Earlier this year, Boy George defended his decision to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest after organisers confirmed Israel would remain in the competition despite calls for the country to be excluded.
Representing San Marino, Boy George said: “I have many, many Jewish friends that I’ve had since I was 15 or 16 years old.
“Are people asking me as a principled human being to turn my back on my Jewish friends? It’s not going to happen, it’s never going to happen.
“From the beginning of my career I wore a Jewish star. Go back and look at pictures of Culture Club. I am so affiliated with Jewish people. I am not necessarily affiliated with Israel. I don’t really have an opinion on that.
“But the job of music is to unite people.”
