Amanda Knox's Edinburgh Fringe comedy show sparks family backlash

Amanda Knox Meredith Kercher Cartwheel show Edinburgh Fringe Stephanie Kercher

American author and former inmate Amanda Knox is staging a one‑woman comedy show called Cartwheel at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2026. The show, which mixes autobiographical material about her wrongful imprisonment with themes of motherhood and women’s safety, has been sold out for an 11‑night run.

Meredith Kercher’s sister, Stephanie Kercher, has condemned the production, saying it “normalises and trivialises violence against women” and that the family’s “immense pain” is being turned into entertainment. A petition to cancel the show has gathered between 2,400 and 5,000 signatures, and she has appealed to Manchester mayor Andy Burnham for intervention. Knox has responded on Instagram, asserting that the show “honours Meredith Kercher’s memory and calls out the violence that was done to her and to me.” Festival director Tony Lancaster said the Fringe is “not afraid of controversy” and will allow the performance to proceed.

The dispute has drawn commentary from former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito and extensive coverage in UK, US, Italian and international media.

Entities

Amanda Knox · Andy Burnham · Cartwheel · Edinburgh Festival Fringe · Gilded Balloon · Meredith Kercher · Raffaele Sollecito · Stephanie Kercher

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 5 SOURCES] Stephanie Kercher appealed to UK Labour leader Andy Burnham to intervene and stop the show. www.bbc.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk · www.umbriadomani.it · emmepress.com
[● 5 SOURCES] Stephanie Kercher, sister of Meredith Kercher, publicly condemned the show, calling it a trivialisation of violence against women. www.bbc.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk · www.umbriadomani.it · istoe.com.br
[● 5 SOURCES] A petition against the show has gathered more than 2,400 signatures. www.bbc.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk · www.umbriadomani.it · istoe.com.br
[● 3 SOURCES] Edinburgh Fringe organisers said they do not curate works and have no plans to cancel the show. istoe.com.br · www.bbc.co.uk
[● 2 SOURCES] Rudy Guede was convicted for the murder and released in 2021 after serving most of his sentence. www.bbc.co.uk · ca.news.yahoo.com
[● 5 SOURCES] Amanda Knox is performing a solo comedy show titled “Cartwheel” at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2026, running for 11 days. www.bbc.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk · ca.news.yahoo.com · krmg.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The show is described as about motherhood and wrongful imprisonment, and Knox says it “honors Meredith Kercher’s memory.” www.bbc.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk · krmg.com
[● 4 SOURCES] Amanda Knox was convicted in 2009 for the murder of Meredith Kercher, served nearly four years, and was acquitted by Italy’s highest court in 2015. www.bbc.co.uk · www.standard.co.uk · ca.news.yahoo.com · krmg.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Another man was convicted for involvement in the murder and has since been released; other participants remain unidentified. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.waltroper-zeitung.de · www.muensterlandzeitung.de
[● 3 SOURCES] Amanda Knox is performing a comedy show titled “Amanda Knox: Cartwheel” at the Edinburgh Festival. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.waltroper-zeitung.de · www.muensterlandzeitung.de
[● 3 SOURCES] Stephanie Kercher, sister of Meredith Kercher, expressed outrage, calling the comedy show shocking and accusing Knox of profiting from her sister’s name. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.waltroper-zeitung.de · www.muensterlandzeitung.de
[● 3 SOURCES] Meredith Kercher was a 21‑year‑old British exchange student murdered in Perugia in 2007. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.waltroper-zeitung.de · www.muensterlandzeitung.de