{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1805645"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1805645/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1805645","accessionNumber":"S.512-2025","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"The Lennon Play","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"<i>In His Own Write</i> was a play adaptation of John Lennon’s two surrealist books of poetry: <i>In His Own Write</i> (1964) and <i>A Spaniard In The Works</i> (1965). The character of The Faulty Bagnose Priest is taken from the poem ‘The Faulty Bagnose’ in his second book <i>A Spaniard In The Works</i>, which is written in the style of a long Christian prayer, satirically lampooning the pomposity and hypocrisy of the Church. The play combines the two books as a loose narrative based on Lennon’s childhood, following a boy as he grows up and imagines different nonsensical characters.\r\n \r\nThe production, staged as part of a triple bill in 1968 at the Old Vic Theatre (then the home of the National Theatre) was notable for it being the first play by a pop artist to be staged by the national company. John Lennon was involved throughout the creative process, including contributing towards the script (with Adrienne Kennedy and Victor Spinetti) and recording speech and sound effects at EMI Recording Studios. He also attended rehearsals whilst recording what would become <i>The White Album</i>.\n\nTony Walton was responsible for the set design, costume design, and projections for the production. ","physicalDescription":"Collage artwork. Painting of priest, overlaid onto copied pen drawing of gothic window, overlaid onto copied butterfly wings, mounted on black paper. Annotated in orange and yellow paint.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Walton, Tony","id":"A39360"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"AAT25681"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"}],"techniques":[{"text":"collage","id":"AAT138699"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Paint and printing collage","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment and leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES385865"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Costume Design","id":"AAT163423"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1968","earliest":"1968-01-01","latest":"1968-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"334","unit":"mm","qualifier":"artwork","date":{"text":"17/09/2025","earliest":"2025-09-17","latest":"2025-09-17"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"237","unit":"mm","qualifier":"artwork","date":{"text":"17/09/2025","earliest":"2025-09-17","latest":"2025-09-17"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"418","unit":"mm","qualifier":"mount","date":{"text":"17/09/2025","earliest":"2025-09-17","latest":"2025-09-17"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"316","unit":"mm","qualifier":"mount","date":{"text":"17/09/2025","earliest":"2025-09-17","latest":"2025-09-17"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Artwork acquired in existing mount.","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"THE FAULTY BAGNOSE... PRIEST","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Design for the Faulty Bagnose Priest in <i>The Lennon Play: In His Own Write</i>, Old Vic Theatre, London, 1968","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[{"text":"Old Vic","id":"THES268318"}],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Lennon, John","id":"N2783"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.512-2025"],"accessionNumberNum":"512","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2025,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-18","recordCreationDate":"2025-06-20","availableToBook":true}}