Aleister Crowley: A Passion For Evil

This is a play about the occultist, mountaineer and poet Aleister Crowley – with a twist or two. The play is a dark portrayal with plenty of humour and was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2010.

Crowley, who owned Boleskine House on the shores of Loch Ness, has become an iconic figure among followers of the occult and esoteric religions. He was dubbed the “Beast of Moleskin” for his fondness for black magic rituals, sexual experimentation and drug taking. He is surrounded by myth, misinformation and lies, much of which was his own creation.
Burns’s play is an exploration of Crowley’s life and follows his journey from a devout Christian to one of the most controversial men of the 20th century. A prolific writer, Crowley wrote volumes of poetry and many texts on the occult and novels. He slipped into obscurity until he was featured on the cover of the Beatles Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. This led to a rediscovery by a new generation and Crowley’s famous dictum “ Do what thou will, shall be the whole of the law” struck a chord with the flower children of the 60’s.

He was born the son of a Plymouth Brethren preacher and grew up as a devout Christian. When he was 11 his father died and he cast aside his religion. He explored many of the world’s religions only to reject them finally, finding solace in what he called magick, an old faith with it’s roots in paganism.

“He danced on the edge of madness and also at times on the brink of genius. He came close to fulfilling his dreams but fell at the last moment and suffered the ignominy that so many face who let greatness slip from their grasp”.