Geoff Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 ROH marketing discussion, as elsewhere on the Forum, part 453. Just for fun I snapped some old Royal Ballet posters that they clearly like enough to display at the ROH. I cut off obvious identification so that one can view them perhaps more objectively, here they are for the purposes of comparison, comment and review (apologies for separate images, I am not skilled enough to post a slide show) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted March 24, 2023 Author Share Posted March 24, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted March 24, 2023 Author Share Posted March 24, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted March 24, 2023 Author Share Posted March 24, 2023 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted March 24, 2023 Author Share Posted March 24, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted March 24, 2023 Author Share Posted March 24, 2023 And my personal all-time favourite — 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 I remember one or two of those. Not that long ago I remember collecting a few of the posters (one of the reasons to pop into the old ROH shop). There is often a fantastic display of a variety of the old posters along the corridor from the amphi bar to the main entrances for the amphitheatre itself. Shame they don't create those marvelous images anymore 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmhopton Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Yes it's a great loss. I have several on my bedroom walls and am looking at them now; Alina, looking very soulful in the second act of Giselle. Marianela and Carlos seemingly floating in a blue sky and white clouds in Fille, and Roberta Marquez in a beautiful arabesque, with Ivan Putrov as a handsome Prince in Cinderella. Just by looking at the posters you knew exactly what sort of a ballet you were going to see, which is surely the job of good publicity. Why such posters aren't now produced I can't understand. The only recent poster I've seen that I'd really like (Vadim and Marianela in Scarletts Swan Lake) I was told wasn't available to purchase. Surely the ROH missing a trick there as I'm sure a swan lake poster would be popular. However, judging by their email shop publicity, attractive posters seem to be making a bit of a comeback, with both a poster and a greetings card of the new floral Cinderella so perhaps there is hope yet. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Thaks Geoff, some great posters from the past and yes I am sure more recent ones would be popular. You would think that they could also sell more photos of the dancers. Unfortunately the ROH shop and its marketing has been pretty poor for some time. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Geoff, what is the production of the final poster pic you posted? It’s quite mesmerising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted March 25, 2023 Author Share Posted March 25, 2023 3 minutes ago, Odyssey said: Geoff, what is the production of the final poster pic you posted? It’s quite mesmerising. Indeed! But isn’t it more fun to leave the images as a quiz for those who want to play a guessing game? If you send me a PM I’ll give you the answer - but I suspect Forum world (even without cheating with Google) can post solutions from memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Well it’s definitely Seymour, but I can’t recall it. I might have to cheat! ROH should bring out a luscious coffee table book of all these gorgeous posters. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmie Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 15 hours ago, Geoff said: And my personal all-time favourite — I do like this one - it took me quite a few visits, sitting on the sofa, to realise there's a hidden face! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolkgal Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 I’ve got a Manon one - irek and viviana - in a final scene swooping lift, one of irek being all soulful in Mayerling and one of Eagling’s Frankenstein- all on my walls ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 (edited) One of my favourites. Edited March 25, 2023 by Fonty 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 (edited) And another: Edited March 25, 2023 by Fonty 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_enthusiast Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 What ballet were those two for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 The one with Sarah Wildor, which adorned the outside of the ROH for years, is for Ondine. The second one probably the same............. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNC Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 I always love looking at the old posters outside the amphitheatre entrances, the photographed posters are quite artistic (not just a shot from the production) and the drawn/designed ones even better - requires more thought I think! I really wish they’d go back to those types of poster designs and yes I think you could make money selling them in the shop, it doesn’t have to be the large print to order but smaller A4/A3 versions would sell (think how when you go to an art exhibition you can buy them). I do think the poster designs of late (not every production even gets one) is pretty uninspiring to be honest and I wouldn’t buy those though. I think they could have done something much better and more artistic other than Marianela/Vadim shot in costume against a grey background for swan lake, and the Cinderella poster I’m sorry to see seems cheap and amateurish to me - a simple photo with some minimal props with an intern playing around on photoshop to make the flowers/background seem more arty/hyper real. Maybe others like it but I don’t. The older photos are stunning - the photo of Bussell, Durante and sorry the other dancer I don’t recognise is really beautiful - simple but artistic, same for Rojo and Cope (?) above as well - proper production photoshoots with a professional look that are stand-alone good photos but also have a link to the ballet for those who know and that you would display in your home if you were a ballet fan. Then the more artistic drawn posters are also lovely - again works of art in their own right but a good link to the ballet. it’s a missed opportunity we don’t get more properly designed artistic posters with current dancers for those of us who would like them. I think painted/drawn posters also catch the eye better for marketing as we’re so used to seeing photos all the time it always catches my eye at least to see a drawn poster somewhere with clear graphic design. I appreciate proper photoshoots and artists to draw costs money - but someone tinkering around on photoshop and doing the Cinderella poster isn’t free is it? Do they have the principal postcards back in the shop? And while I’m on the topic I wish they’d bring back the yearbook (not the year in pictures, although they haven’t done that now since 2020 so assume that’s gone as well) to capture a year in performance with performance and backstage photographs and information on productions/dancers/choreographers etc. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJW Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 (edited) The V&A has an excellent collection of posters (not all of the search results relate to the RB) - https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?q=royal ballet&page=1&page_size=15&kw_object_type=Poster Edited March 25, 2023 by MJW 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 (edited) The second one I posted with Rojo and Cope certainly caught the eye. I saw many people pause and look when it was being displayed on the tube. I think marketing went downhill when they produced the posters that seemed to be designed to get people into the coffee bar rather than the performances: Edited March 25, 2023 by Fonty 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 (edited) 20 minutes ago, MJW said: The V&A has an excellent collection of posters (not all of the search results relate to the RB) - https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?q=royal ballet&page=1&page_size=15&kw_object_type=Poster When I was scrolling through that link, I came across a couple of places where the image was removed and displayed the message that it might be deemed offensive or discriminatory. I clicked on it, and it appears to be a 1912 poster for the Russian ballet, featuring Narcisse, Scherazade and Thamar. Er? Could someone enlighten me as to what anyone might find offensive or discriminatory about that? Edited to add, is it something in the description of the pieces? I can't enlarge it enough to be able to read the small print. Perhaps someone else can. Edited March 25, 2023 by Fonty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 This is my much loved poster that has travelled with me to wherever I have called home. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarriott Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 1 hour ago, Fonty said: One of my favourites. We've got this in our bathroom! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 David Wall and Leslie Collier. A wonderful partnership. They were dancing together back in the late 70s/early 80s when I first started going to the ROH. I made sure I saw them as often as I could. Lovely memories! ❤️ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 4 hours ago, art_enthusiast said: What ballet were those two for? Ondine. Sarah Wildor, then Tamara Rojo/Jonathan Cope. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 I still regret that that massive hanging of wildor as ondine was taken down: it made such a striking impression as you came up Bow Street. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candleque Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Both Ondine posters are so good. I have never seen this ballet (except for the snip in the Fonteyn gala) and envy those who have. Fwiw, if I was a ballet management team trying to attract an audience raised on The Little Mermaid, this show would be on my must do list for sure. (Please 🙏) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 I went to a great deal of trouble to remove the titles from my posts, and then everyone gave it away! So, Geoff, time to reveal what your posters are. I know all the ones with Bussell, and the Dream is obvious, although I don't think I recognise the dancer. A bit hard to tell with all the make up. Clearly the one with Sarah Wildor is Coppelia. What is the one is with the man bearing facial scars and fancy head gear? And although I remember the one with the river/face, I have no idea what it was advertising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnePigeon Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Is that not Steven McRae in The Dream poster? I’m stumped on the same two as Fonty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 20 minutes ago, OnePigeon said: Is that not Steven McRae in The Dream poster? I’m stumped on the same two as Fonty. Yes, it’s Steven McRae. His Dream with Roberta Marquez was wonderful to behold! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 There’s a lovely interview with Sarah Wildor on YouTube in which she talks about the Ondine photoshoot for the underwater image. It doesn’t sound at all glamorous ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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