Blasphemous or brilliant?

IT IS the show that brought protests on to the streets of London and allegedly forced a BBC chief to go into hiding.

So are the people of York likely to man the barricades outside the Grand Opera House when Jerry Springer - The Opera comes to the city later this year?

Initial reactions to the news, revealed exclusively in later editions of yesterday's Evening Press, suggest the response here may be rather more measured than the headlines which met the protest by the group Christian Voice against the BBC decision to screen the show on Saturday.

The group was angered by a production which they term blasphemous, because it depicts - among other things - Jesus in nappies and describing himself as "a bit gay".

In York, church leaders expressed concern, and felt that Christianity was being targeted in a way that would be unacceptable with other faiths.

John Billingham minister of Acomb Baptist Church, said: "They wouldn't be doing this using the imagery of another religion. The distressing thing is the way the imagery is used and the faith in the person of Jesus Christ that's shocking - it's quite sad really."

Best-selling author and retired vicar Graham Taylor said the satire on the American talk show was an attack on Christianity.

Mr Taylor a former vicar of Cloughton, near Scarborough, said: "Frankly, it's not for me to judge. The guys who have done this will answer to God for their actions. It will be God who judges them."

The Rev Keith Himsworth, minister at Southlands Methodist Church, said: "I will not be going to see it but, in the interests of free speech, if people wanted to pay money to see it that is up to them."

A spokeswoman for the Grand Opera House said: "We are a variety theatre and we put on a variety of different events. We aim to put on something for all different kinds of people of all ages and it's entirely their choice if they come or they don't come."

The York production will run from November 28 to December 3.

Updated: 10:06 Tuesday, January 11, 2005