Jerry Springer - The Opera

Jerry Springer – The Opera' is probably the most original piece of theatre in recent history. An opera about trailer trash, it's high art about a low subject, a blend usually restricted to visual art. If any show were ever going to bring opera to the masses, this is the one. And it's done spectacularly. Rolf Saxon as Jerry and Dean Hussain as Satan/the Warm-Up Man are particularly excellent, and they are ably matched by a superb cast. As productions go, you're unlikely to see anything quite this seamless again in the near future. That said, you're also unlikely to see anything this strange again, ever. With more swearing than a 13 year-old with an ASBO and enough Judeo-Christian mockery to damn everyone in a 5-mile radius, it still manages to feel passé: in a world of instant news and graphic animation, shock theatre just isn't that shocking. [Julie Balazs]