On Tuesday 16 May, Katie Hopkins brought her one-woman show to the Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre, despite objections from local people.

The 'Live Laugh Love' tour from the columnist, former business woman and far-right political commentator has provoked backlash across the country, with her Bedford tour date being cancelled completely.

Residents in both Stamford and Rutland objected to the Stamford-based theatre hosting Ms Hopkins, with one Stamford resident writing in to Stamford Nub News to share his views.

Murray Scott suggested that the venue should turn down the booking, adding: "if her racist hate speech silences others by interfering with its production, distribution, comprehension or consideration, then her words will function to undermine, rather than exemplify or enhance, the freedom of speech."

Read Mr Scott's full assessment here.

The team at the Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre, however, stood by their booking: "We are a receiving house theatre, and we are wholly self-funding charity. As such we must put on a wide variety of shows that appeal to as wide a demographic as possible; this inevitably means that we will host some performances that some people take exception to. Where this is the case, we can only hope that people understand that not all shows can appeal to all people, and while a specific show may be objectionable to you another show, that you may wish to see, could be objectionable to someone else.

"The Katie Hopkins performance is, in essence, a comedy performance; comedy, like almost all performance art, is highly subjective. What one person finds funny another might not, and some may even find it objectionable.  We have many shows a year that some of our patrons may regard as controversial, such as Burlesque Shows, Forbidden Nights, Stand up comedians, political satirist, Psychic Mediums, Adult Pantomime etc.

"Different shows appeal to a wide range of people and we strive to find a production for everyone. We pride ourselves in being inclusive and offer diversity across our programme."

As such, Katie's performance went a head on Tuesday night, and she even invited Judith Mackie, the venue manager, up on stage to thank her for hosting the performance.

During the two hour show, Ms Hopkins also covered climate change and the war in Ukraine, her reputation, quarantine, and The Apprentice, in which she featured in 2007.

The political commentator even flashed her backside, upon which she sports a tattoo of her deportation stamp, a result of being removed from Australia in July 2021 amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rumour has it that Ms Hopkins may well be returning to the theatre on her next tour.

Will you be going?