Boy George has withdrawn from a production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium, days before he was due to make his first appearance.

The Culture Club frontman had been scheduled to play King Herod from August 3 to 15 as part of a rotating cast in the role. Richard Armitage, who is currently playing Herod, is reportedly set to cover George’s dates.

George’s manager Paul Kemsley announced his departure on social media today (July 30), writing: “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.”

He went on to apologise to those who had bought tickets to see George, adding: “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.”

Kemsley did not give an explicit reason for the decision. The announcement does, however, come days after George shared the controversial pro-Israel song ‘We Will Dance Again’.

The reggae track opens with the line “You say genocide, I say war”, rejecting the description of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide. He also uses the song to criticise musicians who have publicly supported Palestine.

George later confirmed that he used AI to create the song, calling it “AI for good” and saying: “Truthfully, I would struggle to write this with a human!”

The release prompted criticism from Martyn Ware, founder of The Human League and Heaven 17, who described it as an “overtly pro-genocide, anti-Palestinian piece of musical propaganda”. Patrick Clanton, who appeared alongside George in the Broadway production of ‘Moulin Rouge!’, also said he was “embarrassed” to have worked with him.

A United Nations-appointed Commission concluded last September that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. A further report published last month said Israeli authorities were continuing to commit genocidal acts, including through the deliberate targeting of Palestinian children. Amnesty International has also concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

Israel has repeatedly denied committing genocide or war crimes, maintaining that its military campaign is an act of self-defence following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. It rejected the UN findings as “distorted and false” and a “libellous sham”.

Boy George has voiced support for Jewish communities on several occasions in recent years. In May, he shared a message of solidarity with Jewish people at an anti-Semitism march in London.

“I don’t want to be thanked for doing what is right,” he said at the time. “I have so many beautiful Jewish friends, and I know some of you will be there today. But even if I don’t know you, I send you my love.”

Elsewhere, Culture Club recently announced ‘The Singles’ UK arena tour with ABC and Haircut 100, which is due to take place this December.

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