Equus - Theater Review

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Richard Griffiths in Peter Shaffer's play about a disturbed stable lad who has blinded six horses and the psychiatrist who wants to find out why.

Review submitted April 2007

Note: Booking to 9 June 2007

A powerful play from the author of Amadeus, Equus is about a disturbed stable lad, Alan Strang (Daniel ‘Harry Potter’ Radcliffe), who has blinded six horses, and the psychiatrist (played by the warm and sympathetic Richard Griffiths) who wants to find out why. More than a mere two-hander, there are very strong performances here from the supporting cast, particularly in the shape of Jonathan Cullen and Gabrielle Reidy (as Frank and Dora Strang, Alan’s parents). Shaffer deals richly with the triple obsessions of the 1970s: psychiatry/psychology, religion and sex, and the blurring of the boundaries between all three. The play is a must for anyone with an interest in the workings of the human mind, who loves ‘whydunnits’ and who remembers (or is in the middle of) the confusing, often alienating experience of adolescence. Always thought-provoking and at times deeply distressing, Equus is not for the faint-hearted but it’s well worth the risk.

And for those who want to go purely for the thrill of seeing Harry Potter in the all-together, you won’t be disappointed but you will have a long wait. Daniel Radcliffe doesn’t get his kit off until very near the end.

If you want to see Equus, go soon! The London run ends in June 2007, after which the play will tour the UK with a new cast.