Dame Maureen Lipman has revealed she has been forced to hire private security for her theatre tour, saying she is facing escalating antisemitic harassment and accusing political leaders, including Labour, of failing to act decisively.
The 80-year-old Jewish actress said she has been targeted by activists seeking to cancel performances of her stage comedy "Allegra" in Aberdeen. She claimed “bigots" have campaigned against the show because of her support for Israel, describing her views as “extremist" and “hateful".
Lipman also said pro-Palestine supporters have circulated online material including a doctored version of the show’s promotional poster depicting her with horns and a pitchfork. She described it as an antisemitic trope and said the harassment had intensified to the point where security was unavoidable.
The controversy comes amid scrutiny of Police Scotland’s handling of an image targeting Lipman, which was recorded as a non-crime hate incident rather than a criminal offence. The decision drew criticism from Jewish community representatives and campaigners, who argued it should have been treated as a hate crime under recent legislation.
The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign had previously circulated material linked to a petition calling for Lipman to be removed from the production. The Jewish Council of Scotland, which reported the image, warned that reluctance to pursue prosecutions risked leaving the Jewish community feeling unsafe.
Lipman has also said that she believes antisemitism in Britain has reached levels comparable to "the pogroms in Nazi Germany in 1933," following the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, London.
A government spokesman said it was investing £58 million in security for Jewish communities while tackling hatred.