Christians in Tyneside Protest Jerry Springer Opera

|PIC1|Christians from across Tyneside gathered outside the Theatre Royal on Bank Holiday Monday for a peaceful protest on the opening night of the controversial musical, Jerry Springer The Opera.

The demonstration follows on from a letter sent to the Theatre Royal and city councillors from the leaders of over 40 churches in the area last month in which they criticised the decision to go ahead with the weeklong run of the show.

Rev David Holloway, Vicar of Jesmond, was among the protestors last night. He said: “There must be freedom of speech, but ideas not blasphemy. In a free society the church accepts public denials of Jesus Christ as it can argue for the truth about him.

"But public, wilful and relentless abuse of Jesus Christ, as in this production, has no place in a civilised society."

Despite the widespread condemnation that has greeted the tour at its numerous stop-offs around the country, theatre bosses in Newcastle defended their decision to run the show, defending the right of individuals to choose.

Chief executive of the Theatre Royal, Philip Bernay, said: “Sales are not doing too badly. It's not a show we expected to sell out. It was always going to be for a more specific crowd."

|QUOTE|Following the letter to the Theatre Royal and city councillors, Clive Harding, Senior Pastor of International Harvest Church in Newcastle, said: “I hope Christians will come along and sing with us to show patrons of the show what Christianity is really about. I still can't quite believe this show is being staged here at public expense.

“Newcastle City Council owns this theatre. It wouldn’t dream of staging a show which spent an hour attacking – for fun – the beliefs of any other religion. I’m sure it must breach the Council's own equality policy. Yet they are backing it to the hilt."

Colin Hart, Director of The Christian Institute, described Monday’s event as “an opportunity for Christians to stand up in a peaceful way for what they believe in”.

“Not only is the show offensive for its extreme language and sexual references, it is spitefully prejudiced against the Christian faith,” he said. “I am appalled that a publicly funded body should be so contemptuous of Christians."