Was Amanda Knox’s controversial Fringe show really offensive? Audiences reveal what actually happened inside

Opening night audiences praised Amanda Knox’s Fringe show as respectful and emotional despite fierce backlash

Amanda Knox’s controversial Edinburgh Fringe comedy show has received a surprisingly positive response from audiences who attended its opening night, despite a petition calling for the production to be removed from the festival.

Knox performed Cartwheel at the Edinburgh Fringe on Friday, August 7, after criticism surrounding the show intensified ahead of its debut. The production has attracted scrutiny because of its connection to the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, Knox’s former flatmate in Perugia, Italy.

Kercher, a 21 year old exchange student from the University of Leeds, was murdered while studying in Italy. Knox was convicted of Kercher’s murder and sexual assault in 2009 alongside her then boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. Knox spent about four years in custody before Italy’s Supreme Court definitively acquitted her and Sollecito in 2015.

The controversy surrounding Cartwheel grew after Kercher’s sister, Stephanie Kercher, called for the show to be cancelled. She argued that the production risked normalising and trivialising violence against women. A petition opposing the show reportedly attracted more than 6,000 signatures.

Audience members who attended the opening performance, however, described a production that differed significantly from the picture presented by its critics.

One audience member said Knox was "profoundly respectful" towards Kercher and believed the performer had the right to tell her own story and process the grief associated with the events. The same viewer described the show as "genuinely funny" while also praising its emotional moments.

Another audience member, Nigel from London, said Knox appeared authentic and powerful on stage. He said there was considerable laughter throughout the performance, followed by clapping and a standing ovation at the end.

A man from Glasgow who attended the show said he initially felt hesitant because of the controversy surrounding it. After watching the performance, he said he found nothing offensive or demeaning towards Kercher. He also suggested that describing Cartwheel simply as stand up comedy could be misleading, because the production focuses heavily on Knox’s personal story and experiences.

Another audience member from Edinburgh described the show as emotional, particularly when Knox discussed Kercher and the guilt she continues to associate with the events. She said that section of the performance nearly brought her to tears.

The title Cartwheel refers to a disputed account involving Knox and her behaviour at a police station following Kercher’s death. The reference has become one of the most controversial aspects of the production because it is connected to the public scrutiny Knox faced during the investigation.

Knox has defended the show and rejected claims that it trivialises Kercher’s death. In a statement posted on Instagram, she described Cartwheel as a production about motherhood, raising a daughter in a world she believes remains dangerous for women, and the difficulties involved in confronting those realities.

Knox also said the show honours Kercher’s memory and addresses the violence experienced by both women. She criticised the petition opposing the production, arguing that many of those who signed it had not seen the show and that the campaign was based on what she described as false assumptions.

The response from opening night audiences does not erase the concerns expressed by Kercher’s family, but it does show a clear divide between the criticism surrounding Cartwheel before its debut and the reactions of people who actually watched the performance.