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Wednesday 14 March 2012

Theatre Posters; Cabaret & Blonde

I've had the good fortune to work on a couple of really fun Poster design projects recently at Derby Theatre; first was a Theatre Arts production of Cabaret, and secondly the (upcoming) Theatre Arts production of 'Blonde'.

The 'Cabaret' poster was one of those rare projects (rare for me at least!) where you are approached with a vague brief, shown a couple of photos and WHAM! an idea just hits you and from the get go it just makes sense. I like it when that happens and I wish it did more often.

Cabaret 2012

























If you haven't seen Cabaret, it is set around a Cabaret club in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi party to power. I liked the striking simplicity and symbolism of the final image... I was pleased to be a part of this, the show was fantastic! The students so talented.

Blonde is the next one; a musical based on the story of Marilyn Monroe / Norma Jean. Two of the Theatre Arts students showed up to do the Photoshoot, they were very brave and very sweet! They waltzed in with a cheap plastic wig, red lippy (I seem to remember one of the girls had borrowed it from their Grandmother!) And a big fluffy, towly white dressing gown to serve as a Monroe stylefur coat! I love when things are thrown together like that, it's so much fun and you get that same creative and imaginative rush you get when you are playing make believe as a kid. The photographer was very professional too, especially considering what little he was given to work with (time and brief!) So the shoot went ahead and the girls made even the silly wig look almost glamourous! The images below are the result - now to be a poster!

'Before' of Charlotte (this pose ended up being the chosen final poster image)
'After' The final poster image of Charlotte, inspired by Monroe
'Before' One of my favourites from Taras shoot
'After' Tara, post 'Monroe' treatment!
 I had lots of fun playing with this - messing around in Photoshop and playing with layers and masks and textures is a fun way to spend a couple of evenings!