A vibrant horizontal collage runs through the center of the card, combining bold imagery associated with the show’s aesthetic—dramatic makeup, stylized faces, club fashion, and colorful pop-art elements. The imagery reflects the outrageous style and visual experimentation that defined the New Romantic club culture at the heart of the musical.
At the bottom, the card clearly identifies the London venue and opening date:
“The Venue – Leicester Place – Leicester Square – From 11 January 2002.”
This confirms the piece as an advertising window card for the original London production.
This example measures approximately 12.5 x 20 inches, the standard size for London theatre window cards. As shown in the photos, the poster has been mounted on a wooden backing frame with hanging wire installed, making it ready to hang and display immediately without additional framing. The mounting also adds structural support and protects the poster from handling wear. Overall condition appears very good from the photos with strong color and clean presentation.
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PRODUCTION & HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Taboo was a musical about the 1980s London club scene, particularly the legendary nightclub of the same name. The show featured a book by Mark Davies Markham with music and lyrics by Boy George.
The musical opened in London’s West End at The Venue in Leicester Square on 11 January 2002 and ran until 11 April 2002, giving it a relatively short West End engagement.
The original London cast included Euan Morton as Boy George, Matt Lucas as Leigh Bowery, and Boy George himself appearing in the production as the character “Leigh Bowery’s Mother.”
Following the London run, the show was revised and transferred to Broadway in 2003 with producer Rosie O’Donnell. The Broadway production starred Euan Morton and Raúl Esparza, bringing the story of the London club kids to American audiences.
Because the West End production had a brief run at The Venue, original London advertising materials such as this window card were produced in smaller quantities than those from long-running musicals.
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WHY THIS IS A STRONG COLLECTOR PIECE
This window card represents the original London staging of Taboo, the production that introduced the musical before its later Broadway transfer. Theatre collectors often seek materials tied to early or original productions, particularly when they come from shows that had relatively short runs.
The musical itself has continued cultural relevance thanks to Boy George’s involvement, the iconic club culture it depicts, and the later Broadway adaptation featuring notable performers including Raúl Esparza.
Visually, the poster captures the bold, rebellious spirit of the show with its graffiti-style typography and vibrant collage imagery inspired by the flamboyant New Romantic fashion scene. The mounted presentation further enhances the display value, making it an ideal piece for collectors of theatre, music, or 1980s pop culture memorabilia.
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SIZE & SHIPPING
Approx. 12.5 x 20 inches
Mounted on wooden backing frame with hanging wire
Ready to hang
Ships securely packaged to protect the mounted display.
