Dunmow – A Bishop’s Stortford comedian insisted this week that he will not tolerate racism at his comedy clubs after he ejected a heckler for shouting an antisemitic remark towards one of his acts.
Award-winning stand-up comedian Mark Maier was less than four minutes into his act at Great Dunmow Comedy Club on Friday May 6 and was speaking about his German father when an audience member shouted “I thought you’d be Jewish with that nose”.
As the audience jeered and booed the heckler a visibly shocked Maier then said: “Well I am Jewish and you Sir are a racist **** so why don’t you fuck off out of here.”
The audience then began clapping and shouting ‘out’ towards the heckler, but Maier said: “I don’t really want to carry on to be honest. Why would I want to entertain this complete racist idiot.”
Another audience member could then be heard shouting ‘throw him out Paddy’ directing his comment towards club compere Paddy Lennox, who runs the club along with The Laughing Bishops at The United Reformed Church Hall, Water Lane, Bishop’s Stortford.
Paddy told The Indie as soon as he heard what had been said he made an immediate decision that the heckler should be ejected and went over to where the man was sitting in the second row and told him to leave.
Paddy revealed the man had been shouting out from the beginning of the evening, accusing him of being a ‘homo’ after he had admired the physique of a man in the front row.
He had tackled his heckles head-on, but warned the man he didn’t want them to continue when the comedians on the bill performed their acts.
After the comment towards Maier the man eventually left his seat after being ordered to by Paddy and following a heated conversation, with the audience still shouting ‘out’, during which Paddy threatened to call the police. The heckler, a white, bald man in his 50s who was there with his wife and a friend, reluctantly left the building, but not before asking Paddy outside for a fight.
Maier, who was the final act of four on the bill, carried on – completed his act, which featured observational comedy about Covid-19, marriage and wife and kids his family. When he finished he was greeted by a standing ovation from the audience.
“There is an antisemitic environment at the moment,” said Paddy. “In my mind when this kicked off I decided ‘I’m not having that’. I’m not having any antisemitism in my club.”
At the end of the evening Paddy told the audience at the club at Foakes Hall, Stortford Road, that the behaviour of the heckler would not be tolerated.
He added afterwards: “If I don’t chuck him out I’m giving him licence to behave badly.
“I’m not saying you can’t behave like that, but here’s the rider, not in my club.”
Mark Maier declined to report the incident to the police and they are not believed to be investigating.
