Shows J

JERRY SPRINGER - the OPERA A Musical in 3 Acts. Music by RICHARD THOMAS; Book and lyrics by STEWART LEE & RICHARD THOMAS A collaboration between Avalon, Allan McKeown and the National Theatre in association with BAC LYTTELTON, London - 29 April - 30 August 2003. Transferred to CAMBRIDGE Theatre - 10 November, 2003 Director: Stewart Lee; Decor: Julian Crouch; Costumes: Leah Archer; Lighting: Rick Fisher; Sound: Mike Walker; Choreography: Jenny Arnold; Musical Director: Martin Lowe; Fights: Terry King SYNOPSIS ACT I An anonymous mob assembles and reveals its hopes. dreams and secrets. and its love of the American TV talk show host, Jerry Stringer. After a brief squabble the crowd moves into a TV studio where Jerry Springer's Warm-Up Man, Jonathan Wiens. works them into a frenzy of expectation, culminating in the arrival of Jerry himself. Monitors descend and explain that the Jerry Springer Show may not be suitable for children. Jerry introduces his first guest, Dwight. Dwight is cheating on Peaches, who reveals she once enjoyed a moment of tenderness during a sexual encounter in a toilet. Zandra, with whom Dwight is also sleeping, has drug problems and a nostalgic view of the past. The three argue and fight and Steve, the senior of Jerry's three security men, breaks them up. A Valkyrie appears in Jerry's sub-conscious mind and admonishes him. Dwight is cheating on both Peaches and Zandra with a transsexual, Tremont, who arrives to tell his story egged on by the Warm-Up Man. Finally, Peaches wishes death and destruction on all three. A commercial break follows. The over-zealous Warm-Up Man causes Jerry to fumble the introduction of the next guest. Montel, who is here to tell his partner, Andrea, that he enjoys dressing as a baby and soiling his own underwear. Jerry's inner-Valkyrie tries to stop his confession but it goes ahead anyway. Unburdened. Montel tells Andrea he is also seeing Baby Jane, a woman who likes to dress as a little girl. Baby Jane has a Jerry Springer moment of her own. The Warm-up Man returns to contribute to the general humiliation of Andrea. who is eventually left alone to lament her situation. A second commercial break follows. Backstage, the Warm-up Man explains his relationship with Jerry and is then sacked for his unprofessional behaviour and expelled from the building by Steve, though not before Jerry has once again wrestled with his Valkyrie. Jerry introduces his final guests. Shawntel, who wants to be a pole dancer and her disapproving husband, Chucky. Shawntel is persuaded to dance and then her mother, Irene, arrives. She alludes to a miserable incident in her past and then attacks her daughter. Chucky says he is the innocent one in the story, but Jerry calls on secret camera footage which reveals him to be a patron of strip-clubs and a member of the race-hate organisation, the Ku Klux Klan. Amidst general brawling Jerry welcomes the Klan to the stage. During the ensuing struggle, Montel is given a gun by the Warm-Up Man which he aims at the Klan. The Warm-Up Man jostles him and he accidentally shoots Jerry who collapses into the arms of his faithful servant, Steve.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODU3MzQ=