Jihad: The Musical, a satire that describes itself as "a madcap gallop through the wacky world of international terrorism," is sparking protests in Britain.

A petition against the show, currently playing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, has been launched on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Downing Street website.

"The idea of making light of Muslim extremism is extremely offensive, most especially for its victims," the online petition says.

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to condemn the tasteless portrayal of terrorism and its victims in Jihad: The Musical."

The show features a song called I Want To Be Like Osama and a number where women wearing burkas and carrying machine guns sing: "I only see your eyes."

The show's producers insist it has been created as a morale booster and a way of laughing in the face of terrorism.

"We have no intention of causing offence or insult with this show," said producer James Lawler, of Silk Circle Productions, in an interview with The Scotsman.

"It is simply a comedy musical, following the British tradition of high-kicking, high-spirited musical theatre, about a fictional Afghan poppy farmer who falls in love with the wrong person and finds himself caught in a dilemma."

Jihad: The Musical follows the story of a young Afghan peasant, Sayid, who dreams of making it as a flower farmer selling poppies to the West.

When he is recruited into a jihadi cell seeking to blow up Western targets, Sayid has to decide whose side he's on.

Britain is in a state of high alert because of recent failed bomb plots in Glasgow and London.

Anyone can create an electronic petition on the Downing Street website, which offers a service in which citizens can address, sign and deliver a petition directly to the prime minister.

The Edinburgh Fringe is known for its off-the-wall and controversial works.