All You Need is LSD

Last updated
All You Need is LSD
Written by Leo Butler
Date premiered2018
Place premiered Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Original languageEnglish

All You Need is LSD is a comedy-drama play by Leo Butler commissioned by the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. [1] It was co-produced and performed by Told by an Idiot theatre company, [2] and toured various venues across the UK including Unity Theatre, Liverpool, [3] Tobacco Factory Theatre in Bristol, [4] The Lowry in Salford, [5] and Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. [6] The company of four actors (two male/two female) portrayed hundreds of characters. It was directed by Paul Hunter and Stephen Harper.

Contents

Synopsis

The play begins with the true story of author Leo Butler who is trying to write a play about the history of LSD. He meets former Government Drugs Tsar David Nutt, who persuades Leo to take part in an LSD drug trial as part of his research. [7] After Leo is injected with the drug, the play transforms into a psychedelic history tour of LSD, inspired by Alice in Wonderland and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life , in which public figures such as Timothy Leary, The Beatles, Albert Hofmann and many others - including the author himself -, recount their own psychedelic experiences in a variety of comedic scenes, songs and sketches. [8] The play climaxes with a poignant dramatisation of the death of Aldous Huxley, [9] followed by a fantasy sequence in which Doctor Who visits a utopian future in which Leo Butler's play All You Need is LSD has brought about world peace. At the end of the play, the author leaves the hospital and returns home. Having failed to finish the play, he tells his daughter a bedtime story. [10]

Reception

In their review of the play, Arts City Liverpool claimed "All You Need is LSD is quite a party – complete with mind-bending moments and a starring role for a pat of Lurpak butter. It’s a history lesson full of knowing nods and arch asides, and a cerebrally entertaining romp through the Technicolor tale of “the most interesting drug of all time." [11]

Mark Fisher of The Guardian said Butler's play is "a formal departure from his customary narrative style to fashion a self-aware theatrical collage full of postmodern meta-commentary." [12]

Matt Truman, writing for the New York Times , wrote that “All You Need Is LSD" unfolds as a potted history of LSD — a magical mystery tour. The structure is slippery, freewheeling and associative, with scenes folding back on themselves and historical figures popping up out of the blue." [13]

The Reviews Hub described the play as "a trippy stream-of-consciousness flitting from place to place and character to character, assisted by imaginative direction from Paul Hunter & Stephen Harper. It gleefully smashes the fourth wall and congratulates itself un-self-consciously as it does so." [14]

The Stage remarked "though it’s something of a muddle, there’s a coherent conceit behind Leo Butler’s new comedy. We get the Swiss scientist Albert Hofmann discovering the drug in 1938 and promptly tripping his nuts off. We get iconic American psychologist Timothy Leary – a yodelling, hyperactive Jack Hunter – protesting about its criminalisation. We even get Butler himself – gender-swapped, and played with spaced-out friendliness by Annie Fitzmaurice – weaving in his own experiences with acid throughout. There’s also the moving LSD-alleviated death of Aldous Huxley, plenty of Alice in Wonderland bits, and even an extended Doctor Who adventure into the future to finish." [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LSD</span> Hallucinogenic drug

Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD, and known colloquially as acid or lucy, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages, LSD manifests primarily mental, visual, and auditory hallucinations. Dilated pupils, increased blood pressure, and increased body temperature are typical.

<i>The Doors of Perception</i> 1954 book by Aldous Huxley

The Doors of Perception is an autobiographical book written by Aldous Huxley. Published in 1954, it elaborates on his psychedelic experience under the influence of mescaline in May 1953. Huxley recalls the insights he experienced, ranging from the "purely aesthetic" to "sacramental vision", and reflects on their philosophical and psychological implications. In 1956, he published Heaven and Hell, another essay which elaborates these reflections further. The two works have since often been published together as one book; the title of both comes from William Blake's 1793 book The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Leary</span> American psychologist (1920–1996)

Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. According to poet Allen Ginsberg, he was "a hero of American consciousness", and writer Tom Robbins called him a "brave neuronaut". During the 1960s and 1970s, Leary was arrested 36 times. President Richard Nixon called him "the most dangerous man in America".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psychedelia</span> 1960s subculture related to the use of psychedelics

Psychedelia usually refers to a style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic drugs such as LSD, mescaline and psilocybin and also non-users who were participants and aficionados of this subculture. Psychedelic art and music typically recreate or reflect the experience of altered consciousness. Psychedelic art uses highly distorted, surreal visuals, bright colors and full spectrums and animation to evoke, convey, or enhance the psychedelic experience.

Humphry Fortescue Osmond was an English psychiatrist who moved to Canada and later the United States. He is known for inventing the word psychedelic and for his research into interesting and useful applications for psychedelic drugs. Osmond also explored aspects of the psychology of social environments, in particular how they influenced welfare or recovery in mental institutions.

Alfred Matthew Hubbard, was an early proponent for the drug LSD during the 1950s. He is reputed to have been the "Johnny Appleseed of LSD" and the first person to emphasize LSD's potential as a visionary or transcendental drug.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of LSD</span>

The psychedelic drug lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was first synthesized on November 16, 1938, by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann in the Sandoz laboratories in Basel, Switzerland. It was not until five years later on April 19, 1943, that the psychedelic properties were found. Today, the discovery of LSD is celebrated worldwide during the annual Bicycle Day holiday, serving also as the day celebrating the psychedelic revolution in general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psychedelic art</span> Visual art inspired by psychedelic experiences

Psychedelic art is art, graphics or visual displays related to or inspired by psychedelic experiences and hallucinations known to follow the ingestion of psychedelic drugs such as LSD, psilocybin, and DMT. The word "psychedelic" means "mind manifesting". By that definition, all artistic efforts to depict the inner world of the psyche may be considered "psychedelic".

A psychedelic experience is a temporary altered state of consciousness induced by the consumption of a psychedelic substance. For example, an acid trip is a psychedelic experience brought on by the use of LSD, while a mushroom trip is a psychedelic experience brought on by the use of psilocybin. Psychedelic experiences feature alterations in normal perception such as visual distortions and a subjective loss of self-identity, sometimes interpreted as mystical experiences. Psychedelic experiences lack predictability, as they can range from being highly pleasurable to frightening. The outcome of a psychedelic experience is heavily influenced by the person's mood, personality, expectations, and environment.

The Psychedelic era was the time of social, musical and artistic change influenced by psychedelic drugs, occurring from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. The era was defined by the proliferation of LSD and its following influence in the development of psychedelic music and psychedelic film in the Western world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvard Psilocybin Project</span> Series of psychological research studies into the effects of psychedelics

The Harvard Psilocybin Project was a series of experiments aimed at exploring the effects of psilocybin intake on the human mind conducted by Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert. The founding board of the project consisted of Leary, Aldous Huxley, David McClelland, Frank Barron, Ralph Metzner, and two graduate students who were working on a project with mescaline.

Michael Hollingshead (?–1984?) was a British researcher who studied psychedelic drugs, including psilocybin and LSD, at Harvard University in the mid-20th century. He was the father of comedian Vanessa Hollingshead. He evangelized the use of LSD to many notable figures.

Ego death is a "complete loss of subjective self-identity". The term is used in various intertwined contexts, with related meanings. The 19th-century philosopher and psychologist William James uses the synonymous term "self-surrender" and Jungian psychology uses the synonymous term psychic death, referring to a fundamental transformation of the psyche. In death and rebirth mythology, ego death is a phase of self-surrender and transition, as described later by Joseph Campbell in his research on the mythology of the Hero's Journey. It is a recurrent theme in world mythology and is also used as a metaphor in some strands of contemporary western thinking.

<i>The Psychedelic Experience</i> Book by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, and Richard Alpert

The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a 1964 book about using psychedelic drugs that was coauthored by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert. All three authors had taken part in research investigating the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs such as LSD, psilocybin and mescaline in addition to the ability of these substances to sometimes induce religious and mystical states of consciousness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leo Butler</span> British playwright

Leo Butler is a British playwright. His plays have been staged, among others, by the Royal Court, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Almeida Theatre. His plays have been published by Bloomsbury A & C Black. His 2001 play Redundant won the George Devine Award. Between 2005 and 2014 he was Playwriting Tutor for the Royal Court Young Writers Programme.

"Turn on, tune in, drop out" is a counterculture-era phrase popularized by Timothy Leary in 1966. In 1967, Leary spoke at the Human Be-In, a gathering of 30,000 hippies in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco and phrased the famous words, "Turn on, tune in, drop out". It was also the title of his spoken word album recorded in 1966. On this lengthy album, Leary can be heard speaking in a monotone soft voice on his views about the world and humanity, describing nature, Indian symbols, "the meaning of inner life", the LSD experience, peace, and many other issues.

Don Lattin is an American journalist and the author of six published books, including The Harvard Psychedelic Club and Changing Our Minds — Psychedelic Sacraments and the New Psychotherapy Lattin’s work has appeared in many U.S. magazines and newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle where he worked for two decades as a staff writer covering religion, spirituality and psychology.

Hallucinogens are a large and diverse class of psychoactive drugs that can produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thought, mood, and perception as well as other changes. Most hallucinogens can be categorized as either being psychedelics, dissociatives, or deliriants.

Philosophy of psychedelics is the philosophical investigation of the psychedelic experience. While psychedelic, entheogenic or hallucinogenic substances have been used by many traditional cultures throughout history mostly for religious purposes, recorded philosophical speculation and analysis of these substances, their phenomenological effects and the relevance of these altered states of consciousness to philosophical questions is a relatively late phenomenon in the history of philosophy. Traditional cultures who use psychedelic substances such as the Amazonian and Indigenous Mexican peoples hold that ingesting medicinal plants such as Ayahuasca and Peyote allows one to commune with the beings of the spirit world.

Entheogenic drugs have been used by various groups for thousands of years. There are numerous historical reports as well as modern, contemporary reports of indigenous groups using entheogens, chemical substances used in a religious, shamanic, or spiritual context.

References

  1. ↑ "Full Company and UK Tour Announced for Told By an Idiot and Birmingham Rep's ALL YOU NEED IS LSD". Broadway World. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "All You Need is LSD 2018". Told By An Idiot. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "All You Need is LSD at Unity Theatre". Unity Theatre Liverpool. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "All You Need is LSD at the Tobacco Factory". Tobacco Factory Theatre. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "A journey of self discovery with LSD". Manchester Wire. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  6. ↑ "All You Need is LSD dissects the drugs debate". Coventry Telegraph. 20 October 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  7. ↑ Trueman, Matt (10 October 2018). "A Playwright's LSD trip becomes a psychedelic journey". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "How LSD influenced Western Culture - A new play tracks the importance of psychedelic drugs". BBC Culture. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "Review All You Need is LSD Salford Now". Salford Now. 7 November 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  10. ↑ "Drama Online - All You Need is LSD". Drama Online. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  11. ↑ "Arts City Liverpool Theatre Review - All You Need is LSD". Arts City Liverpool. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  12. ↑ Fisher, Mark (18 October 2018). "Guardian Theatre Review - All You Need is LSD". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  13. ↑ Trueman, Matt (10 October 2018). "A Playwright's LSD Trip becomes a psychedelic journey". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  14. ↑ "Reviews Hub - All You Need is LSD". The Reviews Hub. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  15. ↑ "The Stage Theatre Review - All You Need is LSD". The Stage. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.