Amanda Knox, the American woman who was once convicted and later acquitted in the case of the murder and sexual assault of her British former roommate, Meredith Kercher, has responded to criticism of her comedy show Cartwheel at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. Knox said on Instagram that the performance does not mock the tragedy, but instead “honors Meredith Kercher’s memory” and is about the violence that was carried out against Knox as well.
The controversy was sparked by an interview with Meredith’s sister, Stephanie Kercher, by the BBC. She said the project “normalizes and trivializes violence against women,” and that it is especially unacceptable to turn such a story into comedy. In her view, it’s not a question of whether anyone considers Knox guilty or innocent: the very idea of giving this topic a stage platform seems wrong to her.
The show, opening on Friday and running for 11 consecutive nights, is built around the story of a woman nearly forty years old—a mother and a person who is finally angry about being unfairly deprived of her freedom. The title Cartwheel refers to a long-standing rumor that Knox allegedly did cartwheels in a police station after Kercher’s death. Such details are precisely what provoke outrage among critics who believe the tragedy is being used as entertainment.
Edinburgh Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival, where experimentation, freedom of form, and bold subject matter are especially valued. Theatre here often becomes a space for discussing personal, painful, and controversial stories without the strict constraints typical of more traditional venues—so it is this festival that frequently turns into a stage for provocative productions and works that trigger strong reactions and arguments.
The story of the case remains well known worldwide. In 2007, when Knox was 20, Meredith Kercher was found stabbed in their shared apartment in Perugia—a historic city in central Italy, the capital of Umbria, known as a university hub with large numbers of international students and tourists. The case immediately drew huge international attention: among those involved was an American student, the investigation dragged on, and courtroom battles and media attention in Italy, the United States, and other countries only increased interest in the outcome. Suspicion quickly fell on Knox and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito. Knox spent nearly four years in prison, and in 2015 Italy’s highest court ultimately acquitted her and Sollecito. Later, in the murder case, Rudy Guede was found guilty, having served most of his sentence.
Since then, Knox has returned to the United States, has spoken publicly in defense of those wrongfully convicted, hosts a podcast with her husband, and has released memoirs. Amid a new wave of controversy, she called a petition to cancel the show “unfounded,” and said that Edinburgh Fringe is exactly the place where such work can be shown.
Based on: Amanda Knox defends her comedy show at Edinburgh festival as honoring her murdered former roommate