More on how putting on a show at the Edinburgh Fringe works from Spotlight’s website (as in, the show organisers hire a venue, the venues don’t hire performers):
Most shows at Edinburgh Fringe make a loss, the idea is that the show organisers and performers invest money on being seen at the festival and that exposure will make them more money later on, either
by touring the show around the country (especially if the show wins a prize or gets good reviews) or by making the industry-insider contacts that can lead to a mainstream writing or performing job (get a newcomer award at the fringe and you might get a comedy panel show appearance or ten out of it).
The Fringe a massive comedy trade show for promoters, performers and show crew, basically.
Comedy Unleashed have a contract with Leith Arches, and presumably Leith Arches knew perfectly well that CU specialise in free speech shows, seeing as it’s all over CU’s PR blurb? Including, I would imagine, the posters & flyers they were displaying in their own venue.
Graham Linehan’s GC beliefs are protected in law (and from what he’s said, his planned stand up is mostly about pizza anyway).
You can’t renege on a venue for hire contract because you don’t like the cut of someone else’s perfectly legal jib.
It’s exactly what the EQ10 is there to protect against.
Leith Arches should’ve responded to activist complaints with ‘We are just a venue for hire, take your complaints about featured performers to the show organisers, Comedy Unleashed’
And Comedy Unleashed could then just ignore them.