Jack Rear

Actor Linus Karp recounts being attacked with an umbrella in Soho by Benjamin Paterson, who allegedly targeted him because he was gay and shouted homophobic abuse. Karp criticizes the Metropolitan Police for reducing his statement to a basic assault account and for failing to keep him informed, while delays meant public-order charges were dropped. Paterson later died before his plea hearing, ending the possibility of a trial and leaving Karp without the resolution he had imagined. Karp has transformed the experience into the play “Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella,” which he describes as hopeful and cathartic.