Ivor Dembina

Ivor Dembina is a stand-up comedian in the alternative tradition from London, UK.

Career

Dembina runs the Hampstead Comedy Club in North London, which he founded in 1994. He is cited as an early influence by Stewart Lee. He wrote for the first season of the Omid Djalili Show on BBC1. He appeared in the first season of Eye Spy as 'Jewish Dad' on Channel 4 He was the first stand-up comedian to perform a solo comedy show at the UK Houses of Parliament. Ivor's comedy focuses on his Jewish background and his political outlook He toured his show about the Israel/Palestine conflict, 'This is Not a Subject For Comedy' in Israel and on the West Bank. In 1998 he wrote and performed a show entitled SadoJudaism in which he talked about the worlds of fetishism and prostitution through Jewish eyes.

Controversies

Ivor has attracted attention for his outspoken anti-Zionist views and socialist beliefs.

In 2004 Ivor was detained for several hours by Israeli police as he entered Tel Aviv airport, on his way to perform stand-up comedy in Israel and the West Bank. His name was flagged up by security forces as a 'known radical'.