British singer Boy George, 65, has withdrawn from the London Palladium production of Jesus Christ Superstar after facing criticism for releasing a pro-Israel song titled We Will Dance Again [1, 2, 3]. The singer, whose real name is George Alan O'Dowd and who rose to fame as lead singer of the 1980s pop band Culture Club, had been scheduled to star as King Herod in the musical from August 3 to 15 [1, 3]. Jesus Christ Superstar opened on July 31 at the London Palladium and runs through September 5 [1, 3].
The song We Will Dance Again was created using artificial intelligence and expresses support for Israel amidst the Gaza conflict. Lyrics include "you say genocide, I say war" and "when you're attacked, that's what the army's for," which sparked controversy [1, 2, 3]. Boy George said the song was inspired by his visit to the Nova exhibition in London commemorating victims of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. That attack killed 1,221 people in Israeli communities, including a music festival, according to official tallies [1, 3].
Boy George told sources, "Why not put the word ‘genocide’ in a song. Why are people suddenly uncomfortable with that word?" [3] His manager Paul Kemsley supported the decision to step aside, saying, "George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that. In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus." [3]
The Gaza offensive by Israel killed more than 70,000 people during the conflict considered reliable by the UN, according to the Gaza health ministry [1, 3]. Since a truce took effect in October 2025, at least 1,214 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza [1, 3].
Culture Club is scheduled to embark on a UK tour in December 2026, marking another major engagement for Boy George later this year [1, 3].
