UK & Ireland in Brief

The historical controversy around hit musical Jesus Christ Superstar has been reawakened with news that the role of Jesus in a new production will be played by a non-binary actor.

Judas Iscariot will be played by a woman. The gender-neutral production from Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group has reportedly been given the green light by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. Creative producer Lew Forman said: ‘Jesus is remembered as being a man, but who are we to decide? None of us were around 2,000 years ago.’

Births outside of marriage exceed those within marriage for the first time. In 2021, 51.3% of births were registered to women who were neither married nor in a civil partnership; and 36.5% of all births were registered to cohabiting parents (up from 31.2% the previous year).

However, delays in registrations during the pandemic could have an impact on the true figures.

Children born as a result of rape will be legally recognised as victims of crime in England and Wales for the first time, under an amendment to the Victims Bill.

It means they could be entitled to claim support and other entitlements, such as criminal injuries compensation.

The London School of Economics (LSE) has been criticised for deChristianising its term names.

From October, the first term will be known as ‘Autumn Term’; the Christmas break will become ‘Winter Break’; the Lent term will be ‘Winter Term’; and the Easter break is renamed ‘Spring Break’. The changes are purportedly ‘more accessible’.

In the February issue news item ‘Thousands of people hear gospel’, we incorrectly asserted that the football World Cup had taken place in Dubai rather than Qatar. This was en’s mistake in editing, not that of Christians in Sport.