Winner of Four Nowt2Do.Com Awards, Jerry Springer The Opera announces it's first ever UK Tour and live DVD

Following the announcement that the multi-award winning Jerry Springer - The Opera stage show is to tour the UK in January 2006, Pathé Pictures & Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment have confirmed that the opera is to be released as a special collector's edition DVD. Starring David Soul (Starsky & Hutch) and Olivier Award-winning actor David Bedella (Holby City, BBC ONE) and filmed at the Cambridge Theatre in London during the groundbreaking production's West End run, the DVD will be available to own from 14th November 2005.

You've heard about, you've read about it, now buy the DVD and make up your own mind about the most talked-about musical comedy theatre show for decades. Jerry Springer - The Opera made history by receiving the four major theatre awards for Best Musical (The Olivier Awards, The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, The Evening Standard Theatre Awards and The What's on Stage Awards) and gained global critical acclaim, being described by The Sunday Times theatre critic as: "Something else entirely. This is a bruising, shocking, irresistibly funny masterpiece all on its own; a big, boisterous, brazenly scabrous - nay, raucously filthy - morality play".

Celebrities from across the world saw the show in London including: Harvey Keitel, Sir Ian McKellan, Helen Mirren, Pink, Meg Ryan, Sigourney Weaver, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas, Melvyn Bragg, Sir Michael Caine, Glenn Close, Joan Collins, Simon Cowell, Sheryl Crow, Dido, Sir David Frost, Liam Gallagher, Kelsey Grammer, Holly Hunter, Kevin Kline, Dame Maggie Smith, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Billy Zane and Cherie Blair.

Created by Richard Thomas (music, book and lyrics) and Stewart Lee (book and lyrics), the show is based on America's most lurid talk show and the US host who brought worldwide television audiences programmes entitled: "Pregnant by a Transsexual," "Here Come the Hookers," and "I Refuse to Wear Clothes". Jerry Springer - The Opera was broadcast on BBC TWO earlier this year with an audience of 2.4 million - a record TV viewing figure for a musical or opera, and received 63,000 complaints (more than any other show in British television history). The stage show was seen by a theatre audience of more than 425,000.

Exclusive extra features on the DVD include: the Story of the Musical, a unique documentary which illustrates the show's history from the initial idea through to it's award-winning run in London's West End, and a never-before seen film, How To Write An Opera About Jerry Springer, which sees co-creators Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee discussing (with the aid of a piano) how they wrote the show, from their distinctive way of getting ideas to the writing of the lyrics and the music.

SPRINGER MUSICAL TOUR SAVED BY REGIONAL THEATRES

 In an unprecedented move (announced today 19.09.05), 21 theatres from around the UK (Plymouth Theatre Royal, Birmingham Hippodrome, York Grand Opera House, Leicester De Montfort Hall, Glasgow King’s Theatre, Aberdeen His Majesties, Manchester Opera House, Oxford New Theatre, Cambridge Corn Exchange, Milton Keynes Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Bristol Hippodrome, Bradford Alhambra, Southend Cliffs Pavilion, Liverpool Empire, Cardiff Millennium, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, Croydon Fairfield Halls, Brighton Dome) have united with the creative team and producers Avalon, to save the tour of the multi-award winning smash hit musical Jerry Springer – The Opera. The Olivier Award winning will now open in Plymouth on the 23^rd January 2006.

This announcement follows The Arts Council England’s recent refusal to fund the stricken tour, which had suffered the debilitating loss of 30% of its venues following well-publicised pressure from Christian Voice.

Co-writer and Director Stewart Lee, said:

“Jerry Springer – The Opera was developed on public money in public spaces and belongs to the nation, whether the nation wants it or not.  It would be nice if people outside the M25 could actually get to see it, despite people's best efforts to prevent this.”

Composer and Co-writer Richard Thomas, said:

“I am overjoyed Jerry Springer – The Opera is going on tour in spite of such extreme protest. I am also buying a flak jacket. And sticking close to shadows.”

Producer, Jon Thoday said:

“I’m delighted that the small minority have not prevented the public from seeing this brilliant show. Freedom of speech and artistic freedom have prevailed.”

The musical has already been seen by 425,000 people in the theatre and was watched by 2.4 million viewers on BBC Two on January 8^th 2005 - a record TV viewing figure for a musical or opera. Jerry Springer – The Opera made theatre history by receiving all possible theatre awards for Best Musical. (The Olivier Awards, The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, The Evening Standard Theatre Awards and The What's on Stage Awards).

“This is the most explosive theatrical event for years, and the biggest thrill at the National for decades”

Susannah Clapp, The Observer

Jerry Springer – The Opera is created by Stewart Lee (book and lyrics) and Richard Thomas (music, book and lyrics).

Jerry Springer – The Opera is a new opera based on America’s most lurid talk show and the US host who brought worldwide television audiences programmes entitled: “Pregnant by a Transsexual,” “Here Come the Hookers,” and “I Refuse to Wear Clothes”. As Richard Thomas said of the television show: “It’s got tragedy.  It’s got violence.  There are people screaming at each other and you can’t understand what they’re saying.  It’s perfect for opera.”

WINNER OF BEST NEW MUSICAL OLIVIER AWARDS 2004 - WINNER OF BEST MUSICAL CRITICS’ CIRCLE AWARDS 2003 - WINNER OF BEST MUSICAL EVENING STANDARD AWARDS 2003 - WINNER OF BEST MUSICAL WHAT’S ON STAGE AWARDS 2004 - WINNER OF BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: DAVID BEDELLA OLIVIER AWARDS 2004 - WINNER OF BEST SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL OLIVIER AWARDS 2004 - WINNER OF BEST SOUND DESIGN OLIVIER AWARDS 2004 - WINNER OF BEST LONDON NEWCOMER: BENJAMIN LAKE WHAT’S ON STAGE AWARDS 2004 - WINNER OF FOUR NOWT2DO.COM AWARDS 2004 - SOUTH BANK THEATRE AWARD NOMINEE 2004

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