The Threepenny Opera
Poster
1972 (printed)
1972 (printed)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
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'.
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'.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | The Threepenny Opera (published title) |
Materials and techniques | Printing ink on paper |
Brief description | Poster designed by David Hockney advertising Bertholt Brecht's The Threepenny Opera,with music by Kurt Weill, Prince of Wales Theatre, 10 February 1972. Offset litho printed by King and Jackson, 1972 |
Physical description | Pictorial and typographic poster printed in black, red and green on cream paper, featuring an image and lettering by David Hockney |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions |
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Credit line | Given by Neil Crawford |
Object history | The poster was displayed in the art school where the donor was a student in 1972, and kept by him after the production was finished and it was no longer wanted |
Summary | 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'. |
Associated object | S.3229-1994 (Object) |
Collection | |
Accession number | S.6-2019 |
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Record created | December 20, 2018 |
Record URL |
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