On the other side of the river, Battersea Arts Centre is becoming another increasingly thrilling powerhouse. Tom Morris’s latest project, still in development, is Jerry Springer: the Opera, a thoroughly modern musical that does something musicals rarelyéfv do: it holds a mirror up to the contemporary world and reveals it to be sick.
Witty, inventive, funny, camp, dirty and in seriously gross taste, this is satire of Springer-style confessional telly. The studio audience of trailer trash are gagging for some squalid action (“Bring on the losers…”) their throbbing chorus of “Jerry, Jerry…” as impassioned as the Kyrie of a sung mass.
Divinely blasphemous, of course, but Jerry is to them a sort of high priest, God’s representative on Earth, which is why it is appropriate that sinners should turn to him to publicly and ritually confess their guiltiest secrets and then receive his absolution. One by one the guests appear: a “chick with a dick”; a big guy in a bigger nappy who wants to be babied by his lover; a woman past her best-by date who movingly sings of her dream of becoming a lap-dancer.
For each of them, this is their “Jerry Springer moment” for which they expect, with some relish, their just and deserved punishment: “Dip me in chocolate and throw me to the lesbians.”
The second half is a fantasia springing from Jerry’s subconscious mind (he’s been shot), a wildly entertaining, sub-Miltonesque, philosophical debate that builds to a hilarious climactic duet between Satan (the warm-up guy) and Jesus (the nappy fetishist) about good and evil.
It dares to pose a semi-serious question: Did these sad creatures who do nothing but “eat, excrete and watch TV” come first, or did Jerry (and Trisha and Oprah and the rest) create them? I think we should be told.
The music and singing are superb, though the frequency of four-letter words, even when sung as fabulously and with such feeling as here, makes this too fruity an earful for the easily offended. But believe me, this is going to be HUGE. See it here first, then watch it become a cult.
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter