BART SIMPSON is a symbol of childhood rebellion but the ten-year-old terror has been scolded after using offensive language in front of children at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Nancy Cartwright, who provides Bart’s voice for the hit cartoon series The Simpsons, has caused audience walk-outs at the festival after reeling off a list of extreme swearwords while in character.

Gracie Films, which owns the rights to the series as well as Bart’s voice, distanced itself from Ms Cartwright yesterday, saying that it had had no idea what was in her act.

Despite being the sole creator of Bart’s voice, Ms Cartwright does not own the rights to it and is limited in the type of words that she can use when in character. During the 7.15pm show, which has sold out almost every evening despite poor reviews, she explains that she is allowed to say the words “damn” and “hell” but is prohibited from using more extreme language. At this point she encourages children in the audience to block their ears before launching into a list of profanities.

Antonia Coffman, a spokeswoman for Gracie Films, said that Ms Cartwright had not sought approval for using foul language. She refused to comment on whether Ms Cartwright would be censured but a spokeswoman for Fox said that Gracie was fiercely protective of The Simpsons brand.

Iain Murray, a retired teacher from Edinburgh, was glad that he had not taken his son to see the show. “It is not appropriate,” he said. “Bart Simpson is a role model for children. She should be aware of that. There should at least be a warning before the show.”

Although Ms Cartwright appears to have ruffled feathers at Gracie, her job is unlikely to be at risk. In May she was awarded a 100 per cent pay rise, taking her earnings to around $250,000 (£137,000) an episode.

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