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72.
THE LIVING THEATRE AT THE ROUNDHOUSE.
Original poster announcing The Living Theatre's productions of 'Mysteries', 'Antigone', 'Frankenstein' and 'Paradise Now' at the Roundhouse, north London, June 4-28, 1969. Printed offset-litho by The Word (Notting Hill) in black on white paper stock. 60x76.5cm. Illustrated with a group photograph of The Living Theatre Company.
The month-long run at the Roundhouse was consistently sold out, and years later Richard Neville recalled the opening night of 'Paradise Now' in his memoir of the period: "A steamy, scriptless tableau of writhing bodies, exhorting and stamping. Limbs disentangle themselves and figures leap from stage to chairs and berate the audience… until the show ended in cathartic spins and spasms, in poetry, rock and sweaty communal entwinings. It was appalling, devastating, exciting. All boundaries had been eliminated - between audience and stage, between theatre and therapy." (Hippie Hippie Shake, pp.155-157).
One night, Michael Chapman, a member of the equally radical Exploding Galaxy theatrical group, responded to The Living Theatre's chanted complaints of "We can't take our clothes off in public or smoke pot" by yelling "Well, I can!", then promptly stripping off and lighting up a joint.
Two small tack holes to upper corners, with attendant rust marks; light creasing; o/w Very Good plus.
