A crime of passion?
October 15, 2007
A ‘cheeky’ situation has been occurring at Northern Stage as images for the up-coming production of CASANOVA, featuring an exquisite example of a ladies bottom, have been disappearing from walls and frames across the university. CASANOVA - a scandalously funny and passionate reinvention of the Western world’s most notorious lover which sees the title role played as a woman – is at Northern Stage from 23 to 27 October and is a co-production with Told by an Idiot and Lyric Hammersmith. This new interpretation of CASANOVA is a collaboration between Carol Ann Duffy, one of the UK’s most popular contemporary poets and Told By An Idiot.
The posters, which are displayed in frames outside of the theatre and across the university campus, have been found to be empty in the morning, something which is becoming a regular occurrence rather than a single incident. Northern Stage’s regular team of Student Ambassadors – responsible for promoting upcoming shows throughout the Newcastle and Northumbria campuses – are reporting the disappearance of posters soon after they’ve been put up. So much so, the company have resorted to printing more.
Addressing the unusual thefts, Peter Flynn, Senior Communications Officer at Northern Stage, said: “Every morning we’re finding our bottoms have been pinched! At first we thought it might have been a one off, but it’s happened a couple of times now. The poster’s based on such a well known image it may just be nostalgia, but more likely it’s the rather wonderful dancer the company found to model for the poster. Our student ambassadors keep coming back to us for more posters as they disappear from University buildings so quickly. A very large poster was taken from the frame facing the Haymarket which only we have the key for – we’re not quite sure how they got it open but they very kindly closed it again for us afterwards! We’ve had to put an Our Friends in the North poster back in temporarily while we have another printed up.”
The poster which was designed by co-producers of the show, West Yorkshire Playhouse, has been created in homage to the iconic image TENNIS GIRL produced in 1976 by photographer Martin Elliott, which has recently been re-released as a limited run. The original picture has been described as the sexiest poster of all time and judging by the recent disappearances, the CASANOVA poster also looks set to be a ‘cheeky’ hit.Anna Watson, Student Ambassador for Northern Stage, said: “You can put a Casanova poster up at lunchtime, go for a lecture and find that it’s not there a couple of hours later. I think the theatre is ecstatic that the image is having such an impact but it feels like we’re supplying wallpaper for students at the minute!”
This isn’t the first time poster thefts have occurred from Northern Stage. In early March the company had to print more posters for a production of Thatcher The Musical after posters disappeared from sites across the campus and only in May, a giant Angels in America poster – which showed the back of a shaven-headed man with angels wings – went missing from the foyer.Peter Flynn said: “I guess it’s a testament to the excellent artwork produced by the theatre companies that come to Northern Stage. The Casanova poster reflects exactly what the show is: a cheeky, sexy and fun romp. I’d have stolen one if it was me!”
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