Not currently on display at the V&A

Poster

1990
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Programme poster printed in colour, the image a photographic collage of brown wrapping paper; white paint; a telegram from Italy; postage stamps; a red paper heart; arrows; shoes; scissors; sedan chair carriers; a man with inflated chest; a man in a tub and a man sitting on the edge of a tub; the top edge of the poster featuring green and red diagonal lines, as if on an air mail envelope. Advertising Theatre de Complicite's touring production of Help! I'm Alive. The logos of the sponsor, Beck's Beer, features in the lower left section, recto and verso, with the logos of The British Council and the GLA very small, lower right. The image is dominant but is overprinted in small lettering with the name of the company; the title of the play; the cast details; details about the Italian writer Ruzzante and Commedia dell'Arte and the words 'text combines with rhythm to make music. sitting on a chair becomes a dance. death is a joke and a joke turns to tragedy. the tragedy is about a struggle to survive'; and 'what we have we do not want. what we want we cannot have. death, love, sex, hunger, money, defacation, everything we don't admit and need to celebrate'. It is printed in black verso with details of the 1990-1991 Company news, and tour dates and venues.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Programme poster produced for the 1990-1991 tour by Theatre de Complicite of Help! I'm Alive, devised by the Company, inspired by a Commedia dell'Arte text by Ruzzante.
Physical description
Programme poster printed in colour, the image a photographic collage of brown wrapping paper; white paint; a telegram from Italy; postage stamps; a red paper heart; arrows; shoes; scissors; sedan chair carriers; a man with inflated chest; a man in a tub and a man sitting on the edge of a tub; the top edge of the poster featuring green and red diagonal lines, as if on an air mail envelope. Advertising Theatre de Complicite's touring production of Help! I'm Alive. The logos of the sponsor, Beck's Beer, features in the lower left section, recto and verso, with the logos of The British Council and the GLA very small, lower right. The image is dominant but is overprinted in small lettering with the name of the company; the title of the play; the cast details; details about the Italian writer Ruzzante and Commedia dell'Arte and the words 'text combines with rhythm to make music. sitting on a chair becomes a dance. death is a joke and a joke turns to tragedy. the tragedy is about a struggle to survive'; and 'what we have we do not want. what we want we cannot have. death, love, sex, hunger, money, defacation, everything we don't admit and need to celebrate'. It is printed in black verso with details of the 1990-1991 Company news, and tour dates and venues.
Dimensions
  • Height: 62cm
  • Width: 29.9cm
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Given by Theatre de Complicite
Object history
Programme poster produced for the 1990-1991 tour of Help! I'm Alive, devised by Theatre de Complicite, 1990, inspired by the Commedia dell'Arte text Il Bilora by the 16th century Italian wrtiter and actor Ruzzante (Angelo Beolco).

Historical significance: Help I'm Alive! is inspired by a classic 16th century Commedia dell 'Arte text Il Bilora, by the 16th century poet and actor Ruzzante (Angelo Beolco).
Association
Collection
Accession number
S.728-2000

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Record createdJuly 20, 2000
Record URL
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