A controversial production of Jerry Springer The Opera is opening at the Newcastle Theatre Royal on Monday 1 May. The show has earned a reputation for the way it depicts both Jesus and God, in addition to its heavy use of bad language. The musical began at the Battersea Arts centre and has already been seen by 425,000 people. The stage show was launched at the National Theatre and then moved to the Cambridge Theatre in the West End, with former Starsky and Hutch star David Soul taking the lead role. Complaints It was watched by 2.4 million viewers when it was screened on BBC2. The BBC received a record 63,000 complaints. The production has also won several awards, including the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2004. Talk show host  | | The opera is based on Jerry Springer |
Written by Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee, it has had more than 600 performances in London. The opera is based on America's famous talk show host, Jerry Springer. Christians throughout Tyneside have continued to express their concerns about Jerry Springer. The Christian Institute, based in Newcastle, have been handing out leaflets, outside the Theatre Royal, in the run up to the launch. The co-creator of Jerry Springer, The Opera talks to BBC Three Counties, about the show and what he thinks of the protests. So what do you think? Does Jerry Springer The Opera denigrate the Christian faith or is it a harmless exploration of American chat show culture? Your comments Gerald Barrass
It is about time these so called christians stop making such a fuss about a show which is only a paridy of the jerry springer show it is a micky take and it is about time these people got a life and stop complaining about least little thing as half them probably do not even go to church on a regularly I am a christian and am not taking it serious Jackie
Quetion.Whats wrong with this Show? Answer.Nothing. Please remember History continually reminds us that a lot of People have Died by Chritians in the name of Jesus.This Opera servse to remind us of our iniquties.Other faiths are remined so why not chritians? Jac
I`m a practising Chritian. I`ve seen this Opera and its very good.IF it offends then do`nt go to see it, but DO`NT stop the rest of us that DO want to see it.I choose what I watch not a group of Reliogous Zelots. Joanne Bell
I am a christian and when I first heard of the musical I was intrigued - I love musicals - but when i saw a documentary about it and saw my Lord and Saviour dressed in a nappy I could have cried. The original idea was great 'make a musical ou t of Jerry Springer' but why did it need to even mention Jesus or God? nothing like this would get past the critics if it was Muhammad. I only ask for sense and good taste, there is no need to offend anyone, Mel Brookes never did and i was hoping for his kind of thing. Danielle
This was one of the most exciting, hilarious and entertaining nights I’ve had in a long time at the theatre! Witty and comical it has brought opera into the 21st century! Even the protests didn't hamper my night or the opening of it in Newcastle, and if anything even added to the experience and the hype surrounding, which it fully deserves! It is not the condemnation of the Christian faith yet a Satirical look into the obsession Americans have with airing their dirty laundry on TV and how human nature will do anything to have just 15 minutes of fame disregarding the consequences! Absolutely breathtaking, superb cast with fabulous comic timing! Ignore the protests and see this now! Rosie
If you don't want to see it....you don't have to!! Then it won't offend you. Problem solved. Personally I think that thinking of gay people as sinners or unnatural is far worse. Nik
The difference Paul is the holocaust happened, that cannot be denied and without a doubt is one of the most shameful acts in human history and should never be mocked. God and religion however are just personal 'beliefs' which cannot be proved! Paul
I wonder if a show that made a mockery out of the holocaust, showing nazis laughing as jews were gassed would people cry out "free speech" as they did when they mocked a wonderfull man(god)who came to heal, teach love? God is going to act and send a warning to this sick and perverse generation then we will see who is laughing. Nik
Just a bit of fun really. Free speech must be preserved. If it offends you then don't go and see it - simple!!! Graham
The Chistian faith can't realy be denigrated anymore than the silly Christians who do it themselves, I saw the show in Manchester & thoroughly enjoyed it, the loony protesters (all 6 of them) had no effect on my views. Bryn Roberts
Get a life, people - the concept of "God" is now outdated and useless. Mankind is old enough to stand on its own feet, without the need for some all-powerful super-being to guide us. If people don't like the opera, don't watch it - I don't like the religious rubbish that's on television on Sundays, so I watch something else. B Brown
It is outrageous that we are allowing this to be shown in our theatres. Could you imagine anything as disgusting being allowed if it were about the Muslim or Hindu faith, I cannot. Is it any wonder why society is such a mess when this sort of performance is encouraged. Richmond Mathewson
I am a Christian, and God gave me a brain which I am free to use for good or for evil. Now, as a Christian, and as a beliver in freedom of choice, I belive that everybody should be allowed to choose whether or not to go and see what they like; so I can see no reason why this show should not be staged. Dave Korn
I went to see it recently in Cambridge. It reminds me of nothing so much as a medieval morality play. It is a deeply thoughtful study on the subject of ethics and how we treat each other, and it says nothing disrespectful about the holy family whatsoever; the characters populating Jerry's fevered imagination in his dying moments are drawn from his recent experiences and from eternal archetypes, exactly as happens in the case of any dreaming or dying mind, and serve to allow him to confront the weight of how he has lived his life by dramatising it before him. The objections of christians are based on a fundamental (and fundamentalist) lack of understanding of the entire concept of metaphor, combined with an absolutist desire to control what everyone else may say and think. They aren't just satisfied with the freedom to follow their beliefs; they want the rest of us to be forced to be like them. In this way, they are like the Taleban: they believe the state should not be secular but should show favouritism to their particular cause. In that way, they are also like every business or other special interest group, but the whole point of democracy and freedom is that no interest group should be privileged, and that even a "dictatorship of the majority" is undesirable. The freedoms of all must be guaranteed, not just christians and indeed not just atheists. But the freedom to live how you wish means also the freedom for others to live how they wish. If you don't like their operas, don't go, but you have no right to say they must be stopped. Oh, plus I almost forgot. It was funny, humane, tragic, pathetic, and inspired, and had me rolling with laughter and wanting to dance in the aisles. It was a fantastic performance on the part of all the players, and I can't commend it highly enough. Even christians ought not to have any problem with it, given just the tiniest bit of ability to see beyond the literal, and just an ounce of sense of humour. Tom Button
I am firmly against this production, anywhere not just on Tyneside. As well as this I am confused as to why this is so utterly provocative to christians. It seems to be a deliberate and concerted attack on the christian faith. If this was addressed to another religion it would not ~(especially through the BBC) be tolerated or aired particularly not in such an extreme form. There seems little will to have an attack on secularism, liberalism or atheism of the same weight. The BBC didn't publish the notorious Danish cartoons, so why did they air this? | 
