This poster was designed by the influential British artist David Hockney (b.1937), well known for his work in a range of mediums including painting, printmaking, photography and stage design. It advertises the opening of this production directed by Tony Richardson (1928-1991) at London's Prince of Wales Theatre on 10 February 1972. Richardson's ex-wife, Vanessa Redgrave, starred as Polly Peachum, with Joe Melia as Macheath, Ronald Radd as Peachum, Annie Ross as Jenny, Barbara Windsor as Lucy Brown, Hermione Baddeley as Mrs. Peachum, and Lon Satton as the Narrator. It transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre in April when the role of Polly was taken over by Hermione Baddeley and the Narrator was Helen Cotterill.

Originally described as a 'play with music', Bertholt Brecht's adaptation of John Gay's ballad opera The Beggar's Opera first opened on 31 August 1928 at Berlin's Theater am Schifferbauerdamm. The story concerns the criminal Macheath who marries Polly Peachum, to the displeasure of her father, who controls the beggars of London and tries to have Macheath hanged. Brecht called it 'an opera for beggars' and said that since it should be 'cheap enough for beggars to be able to watch, it is called The Threepenny Opera'.