High Flyer, Low Profile thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

High Flyer, Low Profile

Poster
1989 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This poster advertised the English National Opera Company at the London Coliseum in 1989, featuring the flyman, Micky Titchmarsh. The idea of creating posters that featured photographs of theatre staff instead of performers was the result of a brain-storming session between the marketing and press departments of the English National Opera. Their aim was to promote the accessibility of opera and was brilliantly executed in this campaign, which featured images by some of the best theatre photographers.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleHigh Flyer, Low Profile (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Printing ink on paper
Brief description
Poster advertising the English National Opera at the London Coliseum Theatre featuring the flyman Micky Titchmarsh. Poster designed by Sue Coffey using a photograph by Anthony Crickmay.
Physical description
The poster concentrates on the image of the flyman Micky Titchmarch and the title High Flyer, Low Profile, but also features the ENO slogan: 'Noted for the company we keep' and an advertisement for Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges (sic), opening at the London Coliseum on 6 December 1989.
Dimensions
  • Height: 42cm
  • Width: 30cm
Gallery label
Gallery rotation, 2020 POSTER FOR THE ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA 1989 The English National Opera’s 1989 season poster featured flyman Micky Titchmarsh, whose job was to ‘fly’ the stage cloths in and out for each change of scenery. The company’s poster campaign featured a range of theatre staff instead of performers, in the hope of making opera more accessible. Renowned photographer Anthony Crickmay was employed to create the series of portraits. Designed by Sue Coffey, photograph by Anthony Crickmay Printing ink on paper Museum no. S.2806-1995 (2020)
Credit line
Reproduced courtesy of the ENO/Anthony Crickmay
Subject depicted
Place depicted
Summary
This poster advertised the English National Opera Company at the London Coliseum in 1989, featuring the flyman, Micky Titchmarsh. The idea of creating posters that featured photographs of theatre staff instead of performers was the result of a brain-storming session between the marketing and press departments of the English National Opera. Their aim was to promote the accessibility of opera and was brilliantly executed in this campaign, which featured images by some of the best theatre photographers.
Collection
Accession number
S.2806-1995

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Record createdMarch 6, 2003
Record URL
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