Amanda Knox’s “Cartwheel” Show Sparks Controversy at Edinburgh Fringe

Amanda Knox, the Seattle-born author of the memoir *Waiting to Be Heard*, is presenting a new stage production titled Cartwheel at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The show, described by Knox as a reflection on motherhood, her wrongful conviction and the violence faced by women, has drawn both support and protest. A petition to remove the performance from the festival has gathered tens of thousands of signatures.

Express Tribune

In 2007, Knox’s roommate Meredith Kercher was murdered in Perugia, Italy. Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted, later acquitted in 2015 after a protracted legal battle that included two convictions and two appeals. A separate conviction for slandering bar owner Patrick Lumumba was upheld, and an Italian court reconvicted Knox of that charge in the previous year. Rudy Guede, an Ivory Coast national, was ultimately convicted of Kercher’s murder and released in 2021 after serving most of a 16-year sentence.

Seattle TimesExpress Tribune

Meredith Kercher’s sister, Stephanie Kercher, told the BBC that the comedy “adds an extra wound” and should not be given a platform, emphasizing that the issue is not about Knox’s guilt or innocence.

Seattle Times

Two sources report different levels of public opposition: the Seattle Times notes the petition has attracted more than 33,000 signatures, while the Tribune cites more than 10,000 signatures. No additional data on the petition’s demographic composition or the festival’s response has been provided.

Seattle Times

• “It’s not about whether people think she’s guilty or innocent,” — Meredith Kercher

Seattle Times