The Madcap - a show about Syd Barrett

written and performed by Malcolm Boyle - film by Marc Gogarty

Malcolm Boyle’s original theatre show The Madcap is a multi-media journey into the psychedelic 60s underground as seen through the distorted mental lens of Syd Barrett - the legendary genius behind Pink Floyd. In this critically-acclaimed solo show, award-winning performer and musician Boyle combines tragicomic performance, hallucinatory film and slide projections with his own 21st Century interpretations of Barrett’s songs.

The Madcap plays out the story of Syd’s sudden rise from bohemian alternative London to the heights of pop stardom, and his eventual flight from public life against a seismic backdrop of political rebellion, hallucinogenic drugs and psychedelic music.

The show was premiered at the Brighton Festival, shown at the London Festival of Visual Theatre, and went on to tour the UK, sell out London's ICA and headline the Glastonbury Festival theatre tent. The revival of the show in April 2007 led to Malcolm performing an excerpt on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

The Madcap was most recently performed in October 2008 to a packed house at The City Wakes: a Cambridge city-wide festival celebrating Syd Barrett's life and work.

“Witty and moving” - Mojo

“An authentically 60s atmosphere” - Sebastian Faulks, Evening Standard

“Using several brilliant characterisations, Boyle wove together many of the legendary anecdotes to slowly but surely illustrate the saddest story in rock music.” - Evening Mail

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