{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1805764"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1805764/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PH5744/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PH5744/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2025PH5744","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1805764","accessionNumber":"S.111-2025","objectType":"Poster","titles":[{"title":"Poster advertising Sus at Kirklees Fraternity Hall, 1980","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This poster advertises a 1980 production of <i>Sus</i>, written and directed by English playwright, screenwriter and novelist Barrie Keeffe (1945-2019). Keeffe began his career as a journalist before writing for theatre and frequently used his writing to address contemporary social and political issues. \n\r\n<i>Sus</i> follows the interrogation of the main character, Delroy, by two police officers. Delroy believes he is being held due to ‘Sus Laws’ but soon discovers that he is accused of murdering his wife.\n \r\n‘Sus Laws’ were rooted in the policing of homeless people in the 1800s. By the late 1960s, police powers allowing officers to apprehend and search anyone suspected of committing or planning to commit an offence had been expanded. In practice, these laws were disproportionately applied to Black people. Various activist groups campaigned against ‘Sus Laws’ throughout the 1960s and 1980s. In the aftermath of the 1981 Brixton riots, the ‘Sus Laws’ were repealed following recommendations contained in the government-commissioned Scarman Report. The laws were replaced by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) of 1984, which granted police powers to stop and search people with ‘reasonable grounds’ for suspicion. PACE laws, commonly known as ‘Stop and Search’, are still in place today. \n\r\nThis production of <i>Sus</i> was staged by the 7:84 Theatre Company England at the Fraternity Hall in Kirklees, Yorkshire. The 7:84 Theatre Company was founded in 1971 by radical British playwright John McGrath and aimed to present the realities of working-class life and history to working-class audiences. The company split into two branches in 1973, one to tour England and the other to tour Scotland. \r\n","physicalDescription":"Pictorial and typographic poster, illustrated with a black and white photograph of a Black man being searched by a police officer against a yellow, red and green gradient background. '7:84 Theatre Company England' is printed in the top left corner, with 'Sus by Barrie Keeffe' printed in the middle on the left edge. Information relating to ticket sales is handwritten in black ink along the bottom white border of the poster. ","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"X3 Posters","id":"A32971"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28674"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printed ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Advertising","id":"THES49001"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Black history","id":"THES48989"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2025PH5744"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"WW004","id":"THES414728"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"posters","id":"AAT27221"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1980","earliest":"1980-01-01","latest":"1980-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"26","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"from catalogue","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"38.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"from catalogue","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Theatrical poster for <i>Sus</i>, directed by Barrie Keeffe, produced by the 7:84 Theatre Company, 1980","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Keeffe, Barrie","id":"AUTH410066"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[{"text":"7:84 Theatre Company England","id":"AUTH410067"}],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.111-2025"],"accessionNumberNum":"111","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2025,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-17","recordCreationDate":"2025-07-01","availableToBook":false}}