'Jesus Christ Superstar' musical rated Advisory 16 in S'pore for mature, religiously sensitive content

"Jesus Christ Superstar", a musical presenting a dramatised, artistic interpretation of biblical figures and events, has been given an Advisory 16 rating in Singapore.

The rating comes with consumer advice of "Some Mature Content".

The classification was made by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).

The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) were consulted on "community and religious sensitivities", the three organisations said in a joint release on Jun. 11.

Views sought

The views of its advisory panels, which draw members from a broad cross-section of Singapore society, were sought.

In arriving at the classification for the musical, IMDA reviewed the materials submitted for the production against the Arts Entertainment Classification Code.

The musical does not purport to be a religious or doctrinal account, the statement said.

"Audiences should keep this context in mind if they view the show," it added.

Advisory 16

The Advisory 16 rating and consumer advice are intended to alert audiences to the mature and religiously sensitive nature of the content.

The work’s history was taken into account.

It began as a rock opera album in 1970, was first staged as a musical in 1971, and adapted into a film in 1973, and the film was approved for screening and shown in Singapore in 1974.

The statement said the Singapore government also recognises that some Christian leaders and members of the Christian community are concerned that the production does not present a biblically accurate account of the life of Jesus Christ.

Agencies have engaged these individuals to hear their views and to explain the government’s approach to arts classification, including how religiously sensitive content is assessed.

"The classification of the production is not an endorsement of the production," the statement also said.

Disclaimer

Base Entertainment Asia, the company behind the musical, has included a disclaimer on ticketing platforms and will do so at the event venue.

The disclaimer makes clear that the production is presented for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended to be a biblically accurate representation of the life of Jesus.

This approach from the government aims to balance support for artistic expression with the safeguarding of mutual respect and religious harmony, the statement noted.

Productions that denigrate any religion, incite hatred or ill-will, or pose a real risk to religious harmony will not be allowed to be staged.

The ministries said they will continue consulting and engaging their advisory panels and key stakeholders closely, especially on content that may be religiously sensitive.