British singer Boy George has turned down the role of King Herod in the upcoming production of *Jesus Christ Superstar* at London’s Palladium Theatre. This came a few days after the release of his song ‘We Will Dance Again’, in which the artist expressed his support for Israel’s military actions against Palestine. The singer’s manager, Paul Kemsley, announced that the role would be taken over by actor Richard Armitage.
Briefly about the main points
- Boy George will not be appearing as Herod at the London Palladium.
- The release was preceded by criticism of the song ‘We Will Dance Again’.
- The manager described the decision as being in the artist’s best interests.
- Richard Armitage will take over the performances originally scheduled for Boy George.
- The song was created using artificial intelligence, the singer said.
The manager’s decision and a change to the cast
Paul Kemsley wrote on Instagram that, as manager, Boy George decided to end the singer’s involvement in *Jesus Christ Superstar*. The statement made no specific mention of the new song, but he emphasised that the artist had «never been afraid to stand up for his personal beliefs».
According to Kemsley, withdrawing from the production will allow the show to remain in the spotlight, whilst enabling everyone involved to move forward «with mutual respect and goodwill». The manager apologised to the audience who had been looking forward to seeing Boy George in the role, and thanked the producers and creative team.
In the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, which tells the story of Jesus’s persecution and crucifixion, the role of Herod was shared by five performers: Boy George, Julian Clery, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Leighton Williams and Richard Armitage. The latter will now perform in all the shows originally scheduled for Boy George. The role of Jesus will be played by Eurovision star Sam Ryder.
The singer himself responded to his departure with an AI-generated image of himself sporting a moustache like Groucho Marx’s, and quoted the comedian: «I would never want to belong to a club that would have me as a member.».
The controversy surrounding *We Will Dance Again*
The song is called עוד נרקוד, or *We Will Dance Again* in English. In the lyrics, Boy George responds to Israel’s critics with the lines: «You say “genocide”, I say “war” / When you’re under attack, that’s what the army’s for». A UN commission described Israel’s military campaign against Palestine as genocidal.
The song also criticises musicians who have expressed support for Palestine, and mentions the attack HAMAS to the Nova music festival at the start of the war. The phrase «we will dance again» has become a symbol of resilience in the war for Israelis and refers to the music played at the Nova festival.
In the run-up to Boy George’s performances at the Palladium, calls were made for protests, and the song faced widespread criticism on social media. Martin Ver, a musician with Human League and Heaven 17, described it as «blatantly pro-genocidal, anti-Palestinian musical propaganda».
Boy George responded to his critics in X, … saying that it doesn’t matter what he or others think, and stating that they are «doing nothing». On Threads, he acknowledged people’s right to disagree with his position. The singer explained that he was struck by the slogan «We Will Dance Again», and that he had deliberately included the word «genocide» in the lyrics. He also said that the reggae track had been created using artificial intelligence, describing it as ‘AI for good’.
The singer’s public stance
Boy George has previously shown his support for the Jewish community in the UK on numerous occasions, particularly following the knife attack on two men in Golders Green in April. This year, he also took part in San Marino’s entry at the Eurovision Song Contest, despite calls to boycott the contest due to Israel’s participation.
At the time, the artist said that he felt a connection with the Jewish people, but not necessarily with Israel, and that the purpose of music is to bring people together. The current reaction to the song and his withdrawal from the production show that this stance has become the subject of heated public debate.
