Fat lady sings
Springer opera to close - then tour
Jerry Springer - The Opera is to close in the West End.
But the news is no cause of celebration for the 45,000 protestors who complained the show was blasphemous and used too much bad language – as it will be going on a nationwide tour.
The musical will end its run at London's Cambridge Theatre on February 19, its 609th performance. Then it starts a national tour in Manchester in October.
The BBC was deluged with complaints after Saturday’s screening the show, featuring a nappy-wearing Jesus who admits he is "a bit gay".
Radio 3 producer Antony Pitts quit in protest at the decision to air it, and now fundamentalist Christians are planning a private prosecution for blasphemy against the corporation.
It is not yet known whether the current cast, which includes David Soul as Springer, will tour.
Meanwhile, the show’s creators Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas are preparing to launch their next project - a German opera set in a London comedy club – in Hanover this month.Published: 13 Jan 2005
