Jerry Springer the Opera returns to London for the first time in 10 years, running at the LOST Theatre from March 16-19th (Press Night 16th March at 7:30pm). Witness America’s favourite talk show host suffer the worst day of his career as high art meets low culture in the funniest, most groundbreaking and talked about musical EVER!
With music by Richard Thomas, and book and lyrics by Thomas and Stewart Lee, this is an audacious, fearless piece of theatre that brilliantly and hilariously dissects the cultural forces that have kept Jerry Springer on the air all these years, the lives of quiet desperation that explode into public view in Springer’s weirdly nonjudgmental, national confessional.
Originally opening in 2003 at the Battersea Arts Centre, the show went on an extraordinary journey, from the Edinburgh Fringe to the National Theatre, eventually running for over 600 performances in London. The production won four Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical, and it was the first show ever to win all four Best Musical awards in a single year (Olivier, Evening Standard, Critics’ Circle and What’s On Stage).
Composer, playwright and lyricist RICHARD THOMAS is best known for Jerry Springer: The Opera (National Theatre/West End/Carnegie Hall/Sydney Opera House). Richard wrote the lyrics for the West End hit Made in Dagenham (Adelphi Theatre), and the libretto for the 2011 hit opera Anna Nicole (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Brooklyn Academy of Music) as well as Shoes (Sadlers Wells/ West End), a two-act dance piece about consumerism, desire and…shoes. He wrote and composed Kombat Opera Presents, five half hour musicals written for television, which won the Rose D’Or Comedy Award and Rose D’Or Best of 2008 Awards.
Richard is also working on a full-scale musical about addiction for the National Theatre in the UK and is a contributing writer for the new musical King Kong (Broadway) and composing music for a musical version of one of the British literature’s most widely-know stories.
Lyricist and playwright STEWART LEE is one of Britain’s most influential comedians. In 1990 he won the Hackney Empire New Act Of The Year award and for the next five years he contributed to various BBC Radio comedy shows and co- created two programs for BBC2 with Richard Herring. Stewart directed the Mighty Boosh’s breakthrough Edinburgh show, Arctic Boosh (1999), Simon Munnery’s Golden Rose Of Montreux nominated BBC2 show, Attention Scum, (2000), and a revival of Eric Bogosian’s Talk Radio (Underbelly 2007). In 2001 he was invited to help write the libretto of, and direct, the composer Richard Thomas’ developing work, Jerry Springer The Opera, at Battersea Arts Centre. The show won four Olivier awards after its National Theatre run.
Stewart’s subsequent three stand-up tours, 2004’s Stand-Up Comedian, 2005’s 90s Comedian, and 2007’s 41st Best Stand-Up Ever, consolidated his live audience and critical standing and contributed to BBC2’s decision to commission his 2009 series, Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle. The second series won a BAFTA and two British Comedy Awards, though the same panels overlooked the superior third series, and all the series won Chortle awards.
MARK CARROLL will play Jerry Springer.
Previous work includes: Original West End cast Memphis (Shaftesbury Theatre) Miss Saigon (Drury Lane); Jesus Christ Superstar (Lyceum); Oliver (Palladium); Marguerite (Haymarket); West Side Story (Her Majesty’s); Saucy Jacks and the Space Vixens (the Venue) Also Jersey Boys (Prince Edward); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Palladium); Dr Doolittle ( Apollo ) Passion (Bridewell Theatre); My Fair Lady ( Netherlands) Yakety Yak (Oldham Coliseum); Carver (Arcola); The Maids and Leave him to Heaven (Cheltenham); Equus (Edinburgh); Macbeth (Royal Exchange Manchester), The Duchess of Malfi (Salford) and Billy (Union Theatre ) as well as numerous tours.
Television and Film: The Phantom of the Opera (Pinewood); Jesus Christ Superstar (Pinewood); Dereliction Detectives (BBC); The Iceman Murders (BBC), Doctor Who (BBC); To Serve Them All My Days (BBC); Coronation Street (ITV); Clowns Game, Better than Tomorrow ,Number 203, Freedom, Hotel ,The Pleasure Principal, Family Business and Patch.
Music by Richard Thomas. Book and lyrics by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas Directed by Alexander Parker. Musical direction by Josh Sood.
Presented by Atomicus Entertainment and LOST Theatre, by arrangement with Avalon UK.
Jerry Springer the Opera is playing March 16-19th 2016 at the LOST Theatre, London
