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rDaniel Radcliffe's bold decision to turn his back on wholesome Harry Potter and bare his craft, his soul and his body on the London stage in Equus at the Gielgud Theatre has been media manna for months. But
the erstwhile boy sorcerer and his fellow cast members, among them Richard Griffiths, Jenny Agutter and Joanna Christie, have deftly transcended the hype by presenting a tremendously powerful reading of Peter
Shaffer's dark psychological play. As for Radcliffe himself, he has defied skeptics and proved to be much, much more than merely a treat for the tabloids, with a performance as "un"-stable boy Alan Strang
that's drawing multiple plaudits for its depth and sensitivity. Take a look at the players in action.
REVIEW of EQUUS
Michael Billington of The Guardian:
"Forget all the prurient press speculation about Harry Potter's private parts. The revelation of this revival is that Daniel Radcliffe really can act…His performance also helps to camouflage the fact Peter Shaffer's celebrated ritual drama sometimes betrays its early 1970s origins…I think Shaffer romanticises pain. But, to his credit, he also creates an exciting spectacle, well realised in Thea Sharrock's vivid production and beautifully lit by David Hersey. On a stage designed, as in 1973 at the Old Vic, by John Napier, we watch entranced as actors in equine masks and towering cothurni, or boots, assume the role of horses… Even if the play carries too many Laingian echoes it still has the air of an exciting, unusual theatrical event. Shaffer brought ritual back into English theatre; and for that we can all be truly grateful."
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