{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O158268"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O158268/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AG7503/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AG7503/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AG7503","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O158268","accessionNumber":"S.24-1983","objectType":"Poster","titles":[{"title":"Look Back in Anger","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The design of this poster, which calls to mind Mondrian's grid-based paintings, was the house style of the Royal Court from the mid 1950s. George Devine imposed this house style after starting the English Stage Company in 1956, when he became artistic director of the theatre. Devine's plan was to create a writers' theatre, with a view to discovering new writers and producing serious contemporary works. <i>Look Back in Anger</i>, which he first staged in 1956, is often seen as the starting point of modern British drama.\r\n\r\nWritten by John Osborne, <i>Look Back in Anger</i> is the story of a love triangle involving an intelligent but disaffected young man (Jimmy Porter), his upper-middle-class, impassive wife (Alison), and her snooty best friend (Helena Charles). Cliff, an amiable Welsh lodger, attempts to keep the peace. \r\n\r\nThe play was a success on the London stage, and spawned the term \"angry young men\" to describe Osborne and other writers of his generation who employed harshness and realism, in contrast to the majority of West End writing, seen as more escapist fare. It transferred to Broadway the following year, receiving three Tony award nominations.\n\nWhile <i>Look Back in Anger</i> played on Broadway, the play was revived at the Royal Court with a new cast. This poster advertises the third cast who appeared in a four week run in late 1957.","physicalDescription":"Typographic poster, with, at top, the name of the theatre written in black and white over an orange background. The rest of the poster is printed in black lettering on a white background, with the information in different sized squares and rectangles created by a pattern of black lines. In a central square is the title 'LOOK BACK IN ANGER' with further information above and below. To right of the central square is a yellow rectangle and to lower left, a black square.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"offset lithography","id":"AAT192900"},{"text":"letterpress printing","id":"AAT178926"},{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printing ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Posters","id":"THES252963"},{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006AG7503"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"106","id":"THES49925"},"free":"","case":"WW","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"posters","id":"AAT27221"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1957","earliest":"1957-01-01","latest":"1957-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"AAT53319"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Gabrielle Enthoven Collection","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"50.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"32.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Royal Court / Theatre / Sloane Square S.W.1 / Licensed by the London County Council to Alfred Esdalle'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Printed heading."},{"content":"'English Stage Company / Artistic Director George Devine / Clare Austin   Willoughby Gray   Alec McCowen / Gary Raymond   Anna Steele' ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Cast details, printed in rectangle below title."},{"content":"'October / 28th / to / November / 23rd'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Production dates, printed in rectangle below title, right."},{"content":"'Four Weeks Only / LOOK BACK / IN ANGER / by / John Osborne / Original Production by Tony Richardson / Directed by John Dexter / Setting: Alan Tagg   Music: Thomas Eastwood'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Title and details of the creative team, printed in central square."},{"content":"'All Seats bookable 5/-. 7/6, 10/6 and 15/- / Box Office SLOane 1745 / Mon. to Frid. 7-30   Sat. 5 & 8-15   Mat. Wed. 2-30'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Details of prices and times, printed in rectangle below central square."}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Poster advertising <i>Look Back in Anger</i> at the Royal Court Theatre, London, 28 October 1957","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"<b>Display of typographic posters</b> \n\r\nThese posters use type, design and colour to suggest the style and content of the shows they are promoting.\r\n\r\nThe Royal Court was known for its challenging productions. In 1957–8 it used this distinctive format for all its posters and programme covers.\r\n\r\nThe vivid design of the Move poster conveys modernity and movement, while the Jerry Springer poster suggests the controversial nature of the show and the hellish situation Jerry finds himself in.\r\n\r\n<i>Look Back in Anger</i>\r\n1957\r\nPlay by John Osborne, 1956\r\nRoyal Court Theatre, London\r\nOffset litho and letterpress\r\nMuseum no. S.24-1983\r\n\r\n<i>The Move</i>\r\n1966\r\nMarquee Club, London\r\nScreen print\r\nDesigned by Michael English (born 1942) \r\nGiven by Michae English\r\nMuseum no. S.21-1978\r\n\r\n<i>Jerry Springer the Opera</i>\r\n2003\r\nMusical by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas, 2003\r\nNational Theatre, London\r\nOffset litho\r\nGiven by Avalon PR\r\nMuseum no. S.40-2003\n\n\n<b>Gallery rotation, 2020</b>\n\nPOSTER FOR <i>LOOK BACK IN ANGER</i>\r\n1957\n\r\nIn a visual nod to the work of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, this poster demonstrates the Royal Court Theatre’s mid-1950s house style. The Royal Court was a hub for progressive playwriting at this time. <i>Look Back in Anger</i> was a sharply political play about postwar Britain and gave rise to the term ‘angry young men’ to describe playwright John Osborne and his contemporaries.\n\r\nPrinting ink on paper\r\nMuseum no. S.24-1983<b>\n</b>","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["S.24-1983"],"accessionNumberNum":"24","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1983,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN8219","2019LP4802","2019LT6199","2019LU5717"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-14","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-30","availableToBook":false}}