UK Stage Production Of CORALINE Canceled Following Neil Gaiman Sexual Misconduct Allegations

The planned UK tour of the stage musical adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel "Coraline" has been canceled. This decision comes in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against Gaiman. The tour was scheduled to include performances at notable venues such as Leeds Playhouse, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Birmingham Rep, and HOME in Manchester.

In response to the allegations made by nine women, the production issued a statement. "We have decided our production of Coraline – A Musical will not proceed. After careful consideration, we feel it would be impossible to continue in the context of the allegations against its original author. Ticket holders have been contacted directly via email," the organizers said.

The allegations involve accusations of nonconsensual BDSM, first brought to public attention through the Tortoise podcast "Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman," with further claims reported by New York magazine.

Gaiman has publicly denied the allegations on his personal website, stating, "I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Some of the horrible stories now being told simply never happened, while others have been so distorted from what actually took place that they bear no relationship to reality. I am prepared to take responsibility for any missteps I made. I’m not willing to turn my back on the truth, and I can’t accept being described as someone I am not, and cannot and will not admit to doing things I didn’t do."

Following these events, Dark Horse Comics announced it would no longer publish Gaiman's work, including the anticipated Anansi Boys comic series. Additionally, the Amazon Prime Video series "Good Omens," based on the book co-authored by Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, will be shortened to a final 90-minute episode, foregoing a planned third season.

Coraline, the story at the heart of the controversy, follows an 11-year-old girl who discovers a seemingly better parallel world, only to uncover its dark secrets. The book was previously adapted into a film in 2009, directed by Henry Selick and starring Dakota Fanning.