Not currently on display at the V&A

Poster

1988
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Poster printed in red black and sepia featuring a photograph of the Complicite actor Tim Barlow as a young boy, and as a grown man, in 1950s-style bathing costume, standing on a beach beside a sandcastle, into which is planted a union jack flag on a broken stick. A pair of army boots are on the beach beside the man. There is a sailing boat on the sea in the background, and an aeroplane in the sky. The words 'Extraordinary, touching, very funny and true' are in a banner in the sky, as if flown from the aeroplane, and the words 'with Tim Barlow' are by arrows pointing to the boy and the man. Advertising Theatre de Complicite's touring production of My Army Part One. White lettering above the image gives the name of the company, with the title 'My Army' in red over the image and 'Part Two' as if stamped on, in a circle. The logos of the sponsor, Beck's Beer, features in the bottom left hand corner, with the logos of The Arts Council, the GLA and North West Arts, and The Independent Theatre Council, below right.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Poster advertising My Army Part Two, devised by Theatre de Complicite, 1988, starring Tim Barlow.
Physical description
Poster printed in red black and sepia featuring a photograph of the Complicite actor Tim Barlow as a young boy, and as a grown man, in 1950s-style bathing costume, standing on a beach beside a sandcastle, into which is planted a union jack flag on a broken stick. A pair of army boots are on the beach beside the man. There is a sailing boat on the sea in the background, and an aeroplane in the sky. The words 'Extraordinary, touching, very funny and true' are in a banner in the sky, as if flown from the aeroplane, and the words 'with Tim Barlow' are by arrows pointing to the boy and the man. Advertising Theatre de Complicite's touring production of My Army Part One. White lettering above the image gives the name of the company, with the title 'My Army' in red over the image and 'Part Two' as if stamped on, in a circle. The logos of the sponsor, Beck's Beer, features in the bottom left hand corner, with the logos of The Arts Council, the GLA and North West Arts, and The Independent Theatre Council, below right.
Dimensions
  • Height: 30cm
  • Width: 42.2cm
  • Height: 28.8cm
  • Height: 41.8cm
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Given by Complicite
Object history
Touring poster advertising My Army Part Two, devised by Theatre de Complicite, 1988, a play directed by Jos Houben and Simon McBurney, starring Tim Barlow which toured extensively from1989 until 1992, in tandem with My Army Part One. Part Two dealt with the absurdities of basic army training giving way to a reality that is even more ridiculous of life in the army in the jungle and with a transfer to Germany. Complicite overprinted these posters according to the venue. My Army was originally devised for the Almeida Theatre season, December 1988.
Association
Collection
Accession number
S.128-2000

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Record createdJuly 18, 2000
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