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Swan Lake

Poster
1996 (Designed and printed)
Artist/Maker
Dewynters Ltd (Advertising Agency)
Place of origin
UK (Designed and printed)

This poster advertises a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, which was choreographed by Matthew Bourne and awarded the 1996 Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production. Bourne's choreography was considered ground-breaking as it introduced an all-male cast. Male dancers in feathered knickerbockers were substituted for the traditional swans: tutu-attired ballerinas. With this shift in gender, came a new focus on the themes of repression and loneliness, two aspects that are carried through in the poster, which depicts a man cradling a swan under the ominous, watchful gaze of an anonymous male figure.


Object details

Categories
Advertising
Posters
Object type
Poster
TitleSwan Lake (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Paper
Lithographic Ink
Offset Colour Lithograph
Brief description
Dewynters plc ( advertising/design agency) Swan Lake. Poster advertising the all male cast production of the ballet by Adventures in Motion Pictures Ltd., at the Picadilly Theatre, London. 1996. Colour offset lithograph
Dimensions
  • Height: 51.2cm
  • Width: 32.2cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'The Most fabulous night on the London Stage' Daily Telegraph
  • Adventures in Motion Pictures present Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake (main text)
  • 'Matthew Bourne's powerful, erotic production gleams with wit and passion... Go and queue for returns' Independent
  • From 9 September for a strictly limited season Piccadilly Theatre Denman Street London W1 Designed and printed by Dewynters Plc London
Credit line
Given by Adventures in Motion Pictures Ltd.
Subjects depicted
Dance
Entertainment
Gender Issues
Ballet Dancers
Swan
Summary
This poster advertises a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, which was choreographed by Matthew Bourne and awarded the 1996 Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production. Bourne's choreography was considered ground-breaking as it introduced an all-male cast. Male dancers in feathered knickerbockers were substituted for the traditional swans: tutu-attired ballerinas. With this shift in gender, came a new focus on the themes of repression and loneliness, two aspects that are carried through in the poster, which depicts a man cradling a swan under the ominous, watchful gaze of an anonymous male figure.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.284-1998

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Record createdFebruary 19, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O190224/swan-lake-poster-dewynters-ltd/
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