Curtain Up in 48 Hours: Chaos Engulfs Dame Maureen Lipman's London Stage Appearance as Second Star Quits

A second actor has quit the Soho Theatre production of 'Right Before I Go' over Dame Maureen Lipman's pro-Israel stance. Trans actress Iz Hesketh announced her decision to withdraw from the stage play on Instagram.

'I was really looking forward to returning to the project, so this was not a decision I have made lightly,' Hesketh said to her more than 31,000 followers. 'Following the casting of Maureen Lipman and having recently become aware of public comments made by her, I no longer feel the next stage of the production aligns with my own personal values and beliefs, and therefore feel that stepping away is the right thing for me to do.'

Maureen Lipman's Controversial Statements

'Hollyoaks' star Hesketh did not specify which comments made her feel uncomfortable, but Lipman is a long-time supporter of Israel's right to exist. Her recent statement was related to Gerard McCarthy, the first actor to withdraw from the play.

On Friday, 28 August 2026, McCarthy also posted on Instagram, where they have close to 12,000 followers: 'Because of views she has publicly and repeatedly expressed regarding Israel and Palestine, I did not feel comfortable personally promoting her involvement.'

Lipman criticised McCarthy for not having the courage to face her. She noted her six-decade career has often involved working with colleagues who hold different political views. 'I would like to reassure him that I will not be arriving with a star of David on my forehead, nor am I trying to argue him out of his point of view,' she said. 'I have worked with actors for 60 years who often don't share my politics. I don't ask them, and they don't ask me.'

Aside from her support for Israel, Lipman also voiced displeasure at artists who publicly back Palestine without acknowledging Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack against Israel. 'I am simply a working woman of a certain age who believes that the state of Israel should be allowed to exist,' she said of McCarthy, who also appeared on 'Hollyoaks.'

She added: 'And if he doesn't grow up, then he's going to limit himself to working with just Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem for the rest of his career.' Ruffalo and Bardem are among the most high-profile Palestine supporters.

The Show Will Go On

'Right Before I Go' is a stage play created by Stan Zimmerman, the writer of 'Golden Girls' and 'Gilmore Girls.' The piece explores the struggles of people impacted by suicide, featuring real-life testimonies from various backgrounds, including military veterans, mental health advocates, and the LGBTQ+ community.

The play will open as scheduled on Saturday, 5 September 2026. '"Right Before I Go" will go on,' the play's creative team said in a statement. 'Suicide and mental health affect people across every background and every political divide, and we believe the urgent work of raising awareness and saving lives is more important than our differences.'

Because of its monologue-style format, similar to 'The Vagina Monologues,' the withdrawal of two actors is not expected to leave a large impact on production. Lipman, famed for her role in the Oscar-winning film 'The Pianist,' will be on stage for the 10 September show, which marks World Suicide Prevention Day.