Stephanie Kercher, sister of murdered Meredith Kercher, has publicly condemned Amanda Knox's upcoming comedy show 'Cartwheel' at the Edinburgh Fringe, launching a petition to have it cancelled. The petition, which has gathered nearly 1,000 signatures within 48 hours, argues that the performance turns Meredith's tragic death into entertainment and trivializes violence against women.
Family's Outrage and Petition Launch
In a statement, Stephanie Kercher expressed her disbelief: "Imagine 20 years after Meredith's death, your pain is turned into someone else's laughter. My sister's tragedy is being used to debut a comedy show this weekend in Edinburgh of all places by the very person who was questioned and taken to the legal system by Italian prosecution." She emphasized her support for freedom of speech but questioned the morality of joking about rape and murder, stating, "I cannot fathom how rape and murder can be laughed about and I cannot understand how one person's behaviour at the police station can be the subject of the comedy show."
The petition, titled 'Stop the Amanda Knox "Cartwheel" performance at the Edinburgh Fringe', was created by Sally Alington, who claims a personal connection to the Kercher family. Alington stated, "To see this distasteful and disrespectful performance being given the green light to go ahead under the label of a 'stand-up comedy' with 'adult' themes when we are talking about the rape and murder of a young woman totally beggars belief. This isn't just wholly inappropriate and hurtful to family and friends of Meredith, this goes far beyond that. It normalises and trivialises violence against women."
Knox's Defense and Show's Content
Amanda Knox, who was convicted in 2009 of Meredith's murder and spent two years in jail before being acquitted, has defended the show. A spokeswoman for Knox stated, "Cartwheel is a show about motherhood, raising a daughter in a world that is unfair and dangerous for women, and what it costs to be the kind of mother who tells her the truth about that. Neither the author of this petition nor anyone who signed it has seen Cartwheel. The petition contains false assumptions and mischaracterises the show. Cartwheel honours Meredith Kercher's memory."
Knox herself had previously suggested that Meredith would have found the show 'funny', a claim Stephanie Kercher vehemently rejected: "Meredith, my sister, was a very clever and witty person and loved by so many for those very reasons. She was a girl's girl who you could rely on and would very much be the strong courageous woman today. She absolutely would not find comedy surrounding these issues funny and I believe this goes against everything that inspirational women are still fighting for today."
Venue's Stance and Fringe's Open-Access Policy
The Gilded Balloon, the venue hosting the show, has declined further comment beyond a previous statement defending their decision. The statement read: "The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is an open-access festival. As a Fringe venue, we provide a platform for a wide range of voices, in line with the Fringe's long-standing commitment to freedom of expression (within the confines of the law) and ensure our audiences can make informed choices. Artists and companies choose to participate at our venue and take on the financial and creative responsibility for their work. Amanda's show is a one-woman piece exploring themes of motherhood, presented independently by her."
The controversy highlights the ongoing tension between artistic freedom and the sensitivities of victims' families. As the show is set to debut this weekend, the petition continues to gain traction, with supporters urging the Fringe Festival organizers to reconsider. Alington concluded, "I am urging the organisers from the Gilded Balloon and the Fringe Festival to adjust their moral compasses, do the right thing and cancel these shows."
