Posters for a West End musical were banned from London’s transport network due to concerns that the design looked like graffiti and would encourage “wider acts of vandalism”.
The team behind Operation Mincemeat had to redesign its posters after they were rejected by Transport for London (TfL) because they failed to comply with its policy.
The musical is currently on at Fortune Theatre until February after transferring to the West End this year following its previous run at Riverside Studios, Southwark Playhouse and the New Diorama Theatre.
The poster design in contention was created after the musical received a rapidly growing number of five-star reviews. The original number of 22 was scribbled out to show the play had in fact received at least 58 glowing reviews.
But TfL said this design was rejected in May after being reviewed by its advertising partner. The poster designs had not been referred to TfL directly, it said.
TfL’s advertising policy does not allow adverts which include or feature graffiti, as it “encourages wider acts of vandalism across the transport network”.
An alternative advert was submitted and accepted, and has been displayed on London’s transport network for “the past few months”, TfL said.
A TfL spokesperson said: “While this campaign was not referred to TfL directly, it was reviewed by our advertising partner and was found not to comply with our policy.
“Alternative adverts promoting this show are running on our network and we always look to work with brands to ensure their creatives adhere to our advertising policy.”
SpitLip Theatre, the production company behind Operation Mincemeat, has been approached for comment.
We are in fact at✨59✨ 5 star reviews now, following the publication of our German friends @musicalzentrale's 5 star review! Thanks Ingo Goellner! 💛
— Operation Mincemeat (@mincemeatlive) June 29, 2023
🗒First job after Team Mincemeat's graphic designer's deserved holiday: Update five star review graphic... again ✅ https://t.co/Ci8A3Rowe6 pic.twitter.com/Dk5LyU2ANe
A spokesperson for the musical told Broadway World: “It is of course complete nonsense and belittling to the public’s intelligence, who can obviously tell graffiti from printing!
“Not to mention inflicting unnecessary and damaging costs on redesigns for a show that, while receiving now 64 five-star reviews, has come from small beginnings and doesn’t have the vast resources of a Hamilton or Book of Mormon at a tiny theatre like the Fortune Theatre.”
It comes as posters for another West End play were removed from London’s transport network because it depicted a wedding cake.
The advert was for Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding, a dinner comedy currently showing at the Wonderville Theatre on Haymarket. It features the title characters stood on top of a giant sponge-cake, filled with jam and cream and topped with icing.
It was removed because it was deemed to breach TfL’s policies in relation to the advertisement of foods that are “high in fat, salt and sugar”. The rules were introduced under Mayor of London Sadiq Khan with the aim of helping to reduce childhood obesity in the capital.
When questioned about it, Mr Khan told City Hall last month: “If this particular theatre decided to print the adverts before they’d got confirmation [from TfL that the advert is compliant], then that’s clearly an issue for them, as the client.
“TfL is quite clear in relation to its policies and everyone else for the last few years appears to be following them.
“I’m obviously sorry for any finances lost by this theatre company - I’d suggest they speak to the company they used to make sure next time they get compliance confirmed before printing posters.”
Deputy leader of the City Hall Conservatives Emma Best said the decision seemed “totally bizarre”, and also at odds with his goal of promoting culture in London.
