Boy George has withdrawn from playing King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar, just days before he was due to begin his run at the London Palladium.
No reason has been given for the singer's withdrawal, although it comes shortly after he self-released a song expressing support for Israel.
His manager, Paul Kemsley, said in a statement on social media: “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.”
“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.”
Boy George recently released We Will Dance Again on social media, a song about the Hamas attacks at the Nova Music Festival on 7 October 2023.
The song opens: “You say genocide, I saw 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.”
In a 2022 interview with OK! magazine, Boy George said: “I'm Catholic in my complications and Buddhist in my aspirations.”
