Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom

"Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom" is a highly controversial stage musical written by Daniel Abineri and is a satire on religion and rock'n'roll.

It premiered in Melbourne in 1989 and featured a young Russell Crowe in the title role. "Bad Boy Johnny" enjoyed a six-month run in Melbourne and Sydney, won two International Pater Awards for best libretto and score, and spawned a cast album on WEA Records and a top ten single "Enemy The Sun".

In 1994 "Bad Boy Johnny" was re-mounted at The Union Chapel in Islington London, starring Craig Ferguson and Then Jerico frontman Mark Shaw. The production became a cause celebre and made front page news when an order of irate nuns, the London arm of Opus Dei, "The Daily Telegraph"'s theatre critic Charles Spencer and the Church Council of Great Britain complained that it was "offensive and blasphemous." After a spate of bomb threats the production closed down after just nine performances.

ynopsis

Born on the wrong side of the tracks to a single mother and part time prostitute called Mary, Johnny steals his first guitar and forms a band, The Prophets Of Doom. He is discovered and managed by his evil parish priest Father Maclean.

Booked onto an Idol-type show called "Have Your Say", Johnny is voted by the public as the person the world would like to see as the new Pontiff. However, the current incumbent, the obese Pope Liberty III, is not going to step down. Enter Johnny’s number one fan Desire who, disguised as a nun, tries to seduce Liberty, leading him to die of a massive heart attack.

So Johnny is ordained as the peoples’ Pope. However, he learns that Maclean raped his mother in the confessional box when she was just sixteen and that he is in fact Johnny’s father. Things get even worse for Johnny when it then transpires that Maclean murdered Mary in order to get his hands on Johnny. Johnny swears revenge, so Maclean plans to have his client assassinated live on his TV show ‘The Vatican Tonite’. After all there’s more profit in a dead prophet.

External links

http://www.badboyjohnny.com website about the musical

* [http://www.iht.com/articles/1994/02/02/london.php International Herald Tribute referencing play]
* [http://www.myspace.com/johnnyandtheprophets Myspace entry]