Jerry Springer sparks holy row at St Andrews

IT IS the birthplace of the Scottish Reformation, the ancient religious capital of Scotland, and home to the university that produced John Knox and helped educate a future king.

But St Andrews is about to be hit by a wave of shameless blasphemy and vulgarity as the first ever amateur production of the notorious West End musical Jerry Springer: The Opera rolls into town.

The play, which caused a storm for ridiculing Jesus Christ, God and the Virgin Mary, is to be performed by a group of students from St Andrews, who claim the musical will show the ancient institution is daring enough to promote religious debate.

Angry Christian groups, whose determined campaigning brought the UK tour of the play to its knees two years ago, have branded the university a "cesspit" and have demanded the "sinners" repent.

Radical group Christian Voice is calling on the people of the town to take to the streets to protest at the "disgraceful" decision to perform the play.

And a solicitor for the campaigners has warned they could take legal action if the show is not cancelled.

Jerry Springer: The Opera, written by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas, debuted in the West End in 2003, and satirises the American chat-show format. The play sees a cast of religious characters, including Jesus Christ, Satan, the Virgin Mary and God, brought together to attempt to reconcile their differences.

It presents the Virgin Mary as a victim of rape, says the birth of Jesus was because "the condom split", and casts God as an ineffective old fool who needs Jerry Springer's shoulder to cry on.

The Just So Musical Society at St Andrews University will stage its production in April as part of the On the Rocks arts festival, which launches this year at the university.

The show, which will follow the original script and score with a cast of 25 students, will have a three-night run at the students' association from April 19 to 21.

The student director of the show, John MacLean, who is a practising Christian, denied he was courting controversy. "I've decided to put it on because it's a fantastic show. I think the score is incredible, and I went to see it in Edinburgh and I laughed out loud throughout," he said.

"I'm not doing this to offend anyone. If this show is done by anyone, it should be by someone who understands the Christian scripture, and I hope that the fact I'm a Christian will make (critics] realise some Christians like it.

"I know several members of Christian societies at the university who are excited about the show, and I am planning to speak to the chaplaincies. I hope they will be comfortable with it, and see it as an opportunity to bring discussions about religion into the spotlight."

MacLean, 21, added that he thought the show would boost, rather than damage, the university's reputation.

He said: "This is pushing the boundaries of student theatre. St Andrews is famous for its academics and its Christian foundations, and it can now add that it's willing to be brave and make a stand, the only university in the UK to do this."

But Stephen Green, national director of Christian Voice, remains implacably opposed to the show. His organisation's campaign against the earlier, professional tour using leafletting and the threat of legal action against theatres meant the show lost 500,000.

Green said his organisation would try to do the same to the St Andrews production. "It is disgraceful that in the birthplace of the Scottish Reformation, St Andrews University is putting on a production that insults the Lord Jesus Christ," he said.

"Ridiculing Jesus Christ will bring shame and God's judgment on what should, with all its history, be a devout seat of learning, not a cesspit."

He called all Christians to take action against the musical. "We must pray that this show is cancelled, but if it is not, may the Lord bring Christian people out on the streets of St Andrews to witness and evangelise at all the events during the arts week.

"If many sinners repent and turn to Jesus Christ, some good will yet come from this evil."

Solicitor Michael Phillips, who represented Christian Voice when they sued the BBC for blasphemy after broadcasting the musical in 2007, said: "It's a worry that this production is rearing up again, and it's sad that something with so little artistic merit was given such a lot of attention because it used profanity and blasphemy.

"St Andrews University could be opening themselves up for protests which could lead to legal action if there is somebody with the right funding behind them."

Gordon Macdonald, of Christian Action, Research and Education in Scotland, said: "We would ask people not to see it or give them any encouragement by attending the performance.

"We recognise people's freedom of speech, but at the same time that has to be exercised responsibly, and they shouldn't go out of their way to offend people unnecessarily."

But the Right Reverend David Chillingworth, Episcopal bishop of the diocese of St Andrews, said the show gave a valuable opportunity to discuss Christianity.

He said: "People are entitled to feel that their deeply held religious convictions will be treated with respect, but I'm also glad that we live in an open and pluralist society in which it is possible to question and to talk about even the most sensitive issues."