Nikola Bartova

4th August 2017

Believe it or not, we feel quite strongly about the power of media and so naturally we keep our eye out for interesting and thought-provoking articles. This week, The Times published the results of a study of facial expressions in film posters and how powerful this visual tool can be in connection to human emotion. As it turns out, the emotion of the person in the poster plays a huge part in attracting audiences. After all, we know that every face and every picture tells a story.

Read the full findings of the study here.

This got us thinking. What about theatre posters? And what makes them successful? And just how much is this influenced by personal taste?

Having lots displayed around the office and seeing them every day on the London Underground, The Corner Shop team are continuously engaged and inspired by theatre posters. It did not take long for a discussion to arise after the innocent question ‘do you have a favourite theatre poster?’ That is when it became apparent how diverse theatre posters can be. Take a look below at which ones we love and why.

 

Spring Awakening (Novello Theatre, 2009)

 

Clean, compelling, contemporary, sexy and striking. Need I say more?
Chloe Pritchard-Gordon

 

Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith, 2016)

Grime-y yet glamorous and relevant. I love the sepia colour effect they’ve used on the image.
Chloe Pritchard-Gordon

 

Hamlet (Barbican, 2015)

I got swept up in the hype and paid a bundle for a ticket to this. What stuck with me most though was the poster.  The kids look so sinister and scary, it’s just great.
Laurence Ainscough

 

Mr Burns (Almeida Theatre, 2014)

I think Mr Burns was a transcendent piece of art which comments on everything from how humans form civilisations, to how pop culture is consumed and legitimised, to who gets to document history.  And I love the poster: a rough sketch of the iconic outline of Bart Simpson, which jars with the title and story of the play, with the title written in a font which if you look at it quickly could be the one used on the title card of The Simpsons.
Sara Sherwood

 

The Duchess of Malfi (The Old Vic, 2012)

I think this image for Jamie Lloyd’s Duchess of Malfi at The Old Vic is just perfect, the lighting is gorgeous and Eve Best looks fierce and utterly fabulous!
Hannah Clapham

 

Royal Court Season Artwork (2016/2017)

I absolutely LOVE the new Royal Court season artwork. I’m a big fan of graphic art and design, especially when it’s pared down and minimal. Shapes, words and colour. By applying a uniformity to the look and feel across their season, and taking a non literal, visual approach, The Royal Court has achieved that difficult thing in a crowded market place proper stand out. It’s a bolder move than it might initially seem and it’s going to be a hard act to follow for their next season. I spent way more time looking at this artwork than any other poster in at least a decade and I’d gladly hang it on my wall.
Clair Chamberlain

 

Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre, 2001)

 

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