Needles and Opium

play by Lepage

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July 15, 2026

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"Needles and Opium" is a 1991 play by Canadian writer and director Robert Lepage. The production is known for its innovative use of technology and its exploration of themes such as addiction and cultural exchange.

The play features Lepage himself portraying both French poet Jean Cocteau and American jazz musician Miles Davis. It imagines them in 1949, traveling between New York and Paris, both struggling with drug addiction. The production uses stagecraft to symbolize the connection between these two artists and their respective journeys.12

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Robert Lepage
Early life and career
There he staged Needles and Opium (1991), in which French poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau and American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, both played by Lepage, exchanged places. Lepage envisioned the men in 1949 traveling between New York and Paris at the same time, both addicted to drugs. In…
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There he staged Needles and Opium (1991), in which French poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau and American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, both played by Lepage, exchanged places. Lepage envisioned the men in 1949 traveling between New York and Paris at the same time, both addicted to drugs. In…
Read More