







Production begins today on David Tennant's new feature film, the R.D. Laing biopic Mad To Be Normal. David stars in the new UK project, previously titled Metanoia, as the maverick Scottish psychiatrist who championed the anti-psychiatry method of treating mental illness, supporting patients instead at a unique community in East London.





Also starring Elisabeth Moss, Michael Gambon, Gabriel Byrne and David Bamber, the film will shoot on location in London and Yorkshire.





Mad To Be Normal

Writer & Director: Robert Mullan





Mad to be Normal tells the fascinating story of world-renowned Scottish psychiatrist R.D.Laing and his unique community at Kingsley Hall, East London, during the 1960’s. R.D. Laing was one of Scotland's most creative thinkers, and in the 60’s and 70’s was the world’s best-known psychiatrist. His books regularly topped the student best-seller lists in the USA, he shared the same stage as bands like the Grateful Dead, recited poetry at jazz clubs and was never far away from controversy. The psychiatric establishment regularly tried to close his community at Kingsley Hall, seeing his occasional therapeutic use of LSD and his belief in metanoia (self-healing) as irresponsible and unscientific.





David Tennant said of the project, “I have long been fascinated by the life and work of RD Laing. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and discover this important man and I am honoured and thrilled to be involved in telling this story. Robert Mullan’s passion for the subject is inspiring and the presence of the brilliant Elisabeth Moss makes this something I cannot wait to start work on.”





Mad To Be Normal is a Gizmo Films production in partnership with Bad Penny Productions and GSP Studios. The film is expected to premiere later this year.



