Actor Gerard McCarthy, known for roles in BBC dramas including The Fall and Call the Midwife, withdraws from a planned appearance with Dame Maureen Lipman at London’s Soho Theatre. The pair had been set to appear together in Right Before I Go, with Lipman, 80, scheduled to perform.
Both accounts link McCarthy’s withdrawal to a dispute over views related to Israel. They say McCarthy previously quit the show after expressing pro-Israel views and reference social media activity, including a claim that he “liked” an anti-Israel slur directed at Lipman-related commentary. The reports frame the issue as centered on online remarks and disagreement rather than on the theatre production itself.
Overall, the available sources focus on the same sequence: McCarthy’s known association with BBC work, the scheduled Soho Theatre appearance with Lipman, and the reported reason for his withdrawal—an Israel-related controversy tied to social media language and prior comments. No other independent details about the underlying communications or theatre statements are provided in the excerpts.
