Jesus Christ Superstar musical given Advisory 16 rating

The musical Jesus Christ Superstar, to be staged here from Aug 19 to Sept 6 at Marina Bay Sands, has been deemed more suitable for audiences aged 16 and above because of some mature content in the production.

- Laura Chia

It has been given an Advisory 16 rating by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), in consultation with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the three organisations said in a joint statement on June 11.

Age restriction is not imposed on audiences under that rating. Of the four ratings for arts entertainment here, Restricted 18 is the only one that has a minimum age condition, according to IMDA’s website. It means organisers or licensees must allow only those aged 18 and above to access content with that rating.

Also, the musical’s promoter Base Entertainment Asia has included a disclaimer on ticketing platforms, and will do so at the event venue, that the production is presented for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended to be a biblically accurate representation of the life of Jesus.

The rating and consumer advice are to “alert audiences to the mature and religiously sensitive nature of the content”, according to the joint statement.