Inês Aires Pereira (also) abandons Commedia a La Carte Fest. The Reason

Inês Aires Pereira recalls that “one of the names” invited to integrate the program of the new festival – not to mention directly Jerry Seinfeld – “defends persistently ideas and acts” that he considers “defensive”.

The 1st edition of Lisbon's International Humor Festival Commedia a La Carte Fest will take place between October 29th and November 1st and has US humorist Jerry Seinfeld, who has publicly assumed his support for Israel.

The comedian’s debut in Portugal – popularized by the television series “Seinfeld”, which co-created and wrote with Larry David, between 1989 and 1998 – has been the subject of challenge and appeals to boycott, especially on social networks.

“We cannot relativize or normalize genocide,” says Inês Aires Pereira, assuming the “difficult decision”, but postponing the spectacle to “happy opportunities”.

The most recent phase of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered by attacks by the Palestinian extremist movement Hamas on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel, which caused about 1,200 deaths and more than two hundred hostages.

The response of the Israeli government, supported by the United States, has since caused more than 73,000 people killed in the Gaza Strip, according to data from the government of the Palestinian enclave, considered reliable by the United Nations.

“I take it very seriously that so many people buy tickets to attend, but there are more important principles to take into account,” explained Inês Aires Pereira, who would show the show “Namaste” on October 29.

The festival has already suffered three other cancellations, but two were not justified and the third alluded only implicitly to the Palestinian cause.

In a social network publication Instagram, the comedian duo Onion Mol, which joins Eduardo Madeira and Filipe Man Fonseca, added to his photograph the image of a slice of watermelon, fruit-symbol that shares the colors with the flag of Palestine, to announce the cancellation of his show at the festival.

“ We will celebrate justice, freedom and joy at a next opportunity,” they said.

Already before, the show “Tributo Pop”, which would have brought together Carolina Deslandes, Tatanka and Barbara Tinoco, and the concert of the Cuca Monga Set had been cancelled, but without justification.

On the BlueTicket Biletics digital platform it is said that the concert of the Cuca Monga Set was cancelled “for reasons other than the organization” and the “Pop Tribute” appears only cancelled.

Lusa contacted Cuca Monga and Carolina Deslandes, who refused to comment and tried to contact Barbara Tinoco and Tatanka, but so far without success.

In addition to Seinfeld, the poster of the 1st edition of MEO Commedia a La Carte Fest – which aims to gather “the best of comedy, theatre, music, performance, storytelling and pop culture” – includes shows by Herman José, Clarice Falcão, Matilde Breyner, Pedro Torchas and the quartet César Mourão, Vasco Palmeirim, Pedro Ribeiro and Vera Fernandes, with “Bleep a Bolha”.

The shows are divided between the Colosseum of Recreios, Campo Pequeno, Cinema São Jorge and the Capitol.

The festival, created by the mood group Commedia a La Carte, is co-produced by the Last Tour and That Hug.