Boy George has exited his role as King Herod in the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium, according to an announcement by his manager Paul Kemsley. The departure came days after the musician released a song titled עוד נרקוד, with the English translation We Will Dance Again, which voiced support for Israel’s military campaign. The track contained lyrics addressing criticism of Israel’s actions, including the line “You say genocide, I say war / When you’re attacked, that’s what the army’s for.”
Kemsley stated that he had decided to withdraw Boy George from the production in order to allow the show to remain the focal point while ensuring all parties involved could proceed with mutual respect. While the manager did not explicitly link the song to the decision, he noted that Boy George had always been willing to stand by his personal convictions. Kemsley apologized to ticketholders and thanked the production team for their professionalism throughout the process.
The song drew significant criticism on social media and from industry figures. Martyn Ware, a contemporary of Boy George from the 1980s pop scene, characterized the track as overtly pro-genocide and anti-Palestinian propaganda. Calls for protests outside the theater had also emerged in response to Boy George’s scheduled appearances. In response to critics, Boy George defended his position on social media, stating that people should accept differing viewpoints as part of democratic society.
Richard Armitage will now cover Boy George’s performances in the production, which features Eurovision artist Sam Ryder in the title role and a rotating cast of five actors sharing the King Herod part. Boy George has a history of publicly supporting the UK’s Jewish community and remained involved in the Eurovision song contest earlier this year as a guest artist, despite calls for boycotts related to Israel’s participation.
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