The family of murdered student Meredith Kercher have called for a comedy show starring Amanda Knox – who was wrongfully convicted of murdering Kercher in 2009 – to be pulled from the Edinburgh Fringe.

Knox will unveil Cartwheel at the Fringe this week, named after an infamous claim – which she has denied – that she did cartwheels in the police station while first being questioned over Kercher’s death. The one-woman show has been described as a comedic attempt to explain the circumstances of her wrongful imprisonment to her five-year-old daughter.

Seattle-born Knox was housemates with London-born Kercher while they were both studying abroad in Perugia, Italy in 2007. Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were arrested and convicted of Kercher’s murder and sexual assault in 2009, in a high-profile trial that received widespread coverage in the UK, the US and around the world.

Knox and Sollecito consistently maintained their innocence, and their shared 26-year prison sentence was overturned in 2011, allowing Knox to be released and return to America. Her acquittal was subsequently overturned after an appeal in 2013, leading to Knox being convicted again of murder in 2014. Finally, the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation definitively acquitted Knox of Kercher’s murder in 2015.

Amid the saga, Knox has shared her story in books and documentaries, and has spent the last few years working as a stand-up comedian. She told The Telegraph last week that she originally intended to write a show about motherhood, but that comedian friends advised her to “address the elephant in the room” first. She insisted, however, that she does not joke about Kercher’s death. “I joke a lot about how I was vilified, but I don’t joke about her murder,” she said. “That’s just a line for me.”

Despite those assurances, more than 2,000 people have to date signed a petition calling for the show to be axed. Petition initiator Sally Alington, who describes herself as a close friend of the Kercher family, has dubbed Cartwheel an attempt to “turn … tragedy into entertainment”, and claims that the show “mocks the horrific events surrounding Meredith’s murder”. She added that Kercher’s siblings have labelled the show “absurd and a gross trivialisation of their sister’s death”.

“This show not only disrespects Meredith’s memory,” the statement continues, “but it also risks normalising violence against women by making light of such a harrowing event.”

Kercher’s sister Stephanie accused Knox of exploiting the murder as part of the show, telling The Scotsman that her family’s pain has been “turned into someone else’s laughter”.

“I’m very aware that in high profile cases everyone has their own opinions on guilt and innocence and I also agree with freedom of speech,” she said. “However, when someone is still using Meredith’s name to support themselves, and furthermore, when a comedy is linked to an individual case and individual person, I cannot fathom how rape and murder can be laughed about and I cannot understand how one person’s behaviour at the police station can be the subject of the comedy show.”

A spokesperson for Knox told The Scotsman that the petition “contains false assumptions and mischaracterises the show”.

“Cartwheel is a show about motherhood, raising a daughter in a world that is unfair and dangerous for women, and what it costs to be the kind of mother who tells her the truth about that,” the statement reads. “Neither the author of this petition nor anyone who signed it has seen Cartwheel. The petition contains false assumptions and mischaracterises the show. Cartwheel honours Meredith Kercher’s memory.

“A petition to cancel a show no one has seen, on the grounds of false accusations intended to shame and vilify a wronged woman into silence, is not an argument against Cartwheel. It’s a fairly precise description of what Cartwheel is about and why it deserves to exist.”

Gilded Balloon, which owns the venue Cartwheel is being performed in, said in a statement that they “provide a platform for a wide range of voices, in line with the Fringe’s long-standing commitment to freedom of expression (within the confines of the law) and ensure our audiences can make informed choices.” They continued: “Artists and companies choose to participate at our venue and take on the financial and creative responsibility for their work. Amanda’s show is a one-woman piece exploring themes of motherhood, presented independently by her.”

The Independent has contacted Knox and the Edinburgh Fringe for comment.

Rudy Guede was convicted of Kercher’s sexual assault and murder in 2008. He was released from prison in 2021 after serving 13 years of a 16-year term.