The Publicist’s role is fundamentally to advertise the show – what’s a show without an audience after all! It’s partly creative/design-oriented, but can also have its share of administration and logistics. 

Posters & Flyers

Each show has its own poster and this can be the responsibility of the Publicist or delegated to a separate Poster Designer. 

Posters are generally an A3 size.  Consider that the poster will mostly be seen from afar. Ensure that you use a font that is easy to read, especially for the title, venue and dates of the production. Small/intricate designs, while visually appealing, may not be effective for a poster. 

Flyering is also a good way to reach wider audiences, but is not necessary. Flyers often feature the poster on its front-facing side, accompanied by a blurb and a ticketing QR code on the other.

Often, designers will work closely with the Director to ensure that the show’s creative vision shines through in its publicity.

Please be mindful of contractual obligations and requirements relating to publicity materials.

Contractual obligations include:

• Posters and flyers must prominently display the Pembroke Players logo.
• All publicity material must be sent to your Show Rep and checked by the Pembroke Players Marketing Director before being sent to print
• Publicity must be sent to print at least two weeks before your opening night and displayed at least five days prior to opening night. 
• Copies of all publicity material and reviews must be forwarded to the Pembroke Players Secretary. 

All poster and flyer designs must include:

• Title of play
• Author of play
• Venue
• Dates and times of performances
• Details of how to purchase tickets (Tessara/Pembroke Players link and on door)
• Any other details required in your Performance Rights contract

Photography

Rehearsal photos can make great social media content and are an easy, low-effort marketing resource. The photography itself may not be the Publicist’s responsibility, but it is important that you are in communication with the photographer to source photos and have them readily available. 

Cast and crew headshots and dress rehearsal photos are similarly typical for show publicity.

Social Media

Most Publicists run a show Instagram account as a promotional tool. It is up to you what you would like to post and also quite dependent on the nature of your show. 

Other than rehearsal photos and headshots, Instagram posts can be wide-ranging. Whether a silly tiktok or an educational/awareness think piece, try to post relatively frequently, ramping up to even daily posts in the week prior to the show’s opening. Other post ideas include feature interviews with cast and crew members to give prospective audiences an insight into the production process and what they can expect from your fabulous show, tumblr text box memes/memes generally, and costume/set moodboards!

It can also be useful to set up the Instagram account quite early on and use it not only to advertise the show, but also production team openings i.e. extended production.

Refer to other shows’ Instagram accounts and follow as many people as possible! Some will follow back, but at the very least, they will all be exposed to the show in some capacity. 

Wider University and Local Collaboration

By no means necessary, but there have been many instances of society and local business collaboration with student shows as part of their publicity. These collaborations help get the word out to audiences who are perhaps not already familiar with Cambridge Theatre. Shows have collaborated with student societies to host drinks/social events, whereas in the local community, partnered with Jack’s Gelato for a unique Jack’s flavour and with a local bookshop for a themed book display. The opportunities are endless!