‘Everyone is always telling me I am going to hell. Now I’ve seen it,’ was the verdict of popular television’s biggest star, Jerry Springer, as he confronted an uncomfortable vision of his own fate on an Edinburgh stage yesterday. ‘Not many people get to see their future,’ he added.
Springer made an unannounced visit to the hit show of the Fringe Festival, Jerry Springer: The Opera, and pronounced it ‘wonderful’, even though lawyers for his successful US chat show are likely to try to stop it being produced elsewhere.
The musical, with a foul-mouthed libretto that features an aria sung by a dwarf lesbian with a nappy fetish, a black baby Jesus and the Devil, was ‘great’ and ‘many-layered’, Springer said, although it features an unflattering portrayal of him.
‘I hope the show comes to America,’ he told The Observer. ‘I only wish I’d thought of it first. I don’t object to anything in it. The whole show is tongue-in-cheek, so what is the problem?’
He had fun with the sell-out audience at the Assembly Rooms, however, most of whom were astonished to see the real Jerry Springer sitting beside them watching a show that satirised his controversial TV programme.
He was greeted with a round of applause and stood up in the interval to shout out a playful ‘it’s not true’ after a particularly sordid allegation about his personal life. The opera, directed and written by the comedian Stewart Lee, one half of the television duo Lee and Herring, with music by Richard Thomas, has prompted the excited attentions of producers from New York and London, including Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh. A German producer was in the audience and hoped to buy up the show.
But Springer’s television network lawyers are unlikely to let such a telling parody of his programme continue. Copyright is believed to be an issue. Springer, who is in the city to speak at the Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival today, was not the only star to enjoy the show. Tracey Ullman, whose husband is one of the producers, praised the singers, while Esther Rantzen said it was ‘brilliant’.
‘It was beautifully sung and it obviously enhanced it to see it done in the presence of the master.’
Springer’s relaxed attitude is remarkable, given that it makes staggering shifts from reality. In the second half, he gets shot and goes to hell and solves the question of what is good and evil.
Lee has said: ‘He becomes the liberal fantasy of what you want an American chat-show host to be.’
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter