Entering its final weeks at Trafalgar Studios, Ned Bennett’s fresh take on Peter Shaffer’s modern classic Equus is a definite must-see and enjoyed a rave review from this critic. This critically acclaimed and inventive new revival is both thought-provoking and moving. And yes, it includes that infamous naked scene. Despite lasting only a few minutes in a play awash with provocative themes and ideas, the male full-frontal remains a controversial talking point and a reason for the play’s enduring renown. When Daniel Radcliffe famously shed his wizard robes to reveal his ‘wand’ in both the 2007 and 2008 West End and Broadway revivals of Equus, the production’s overwhelming success did not prevent a backlash from prudish theatregoers (and Harry Potter fans) who protested and boycotted the London show. Radcliffe hit back, asserting that they were “treating it like it’s pornography. It’s not.” Kai agrees, saying “the nude scene is shocking but necessary… it’s a very minute part of what is a grand and epic story and production.” That doesn’t mean it is easy to perform, though…
Kai adds; “In Britain, nudity isn’t something we’re particularly comfortable with, so people will always have those kinds of responses. Whether it’s awkward laughter or being shocked, people will talk and that’s fine.
“Ultimately, I truly believe the nudity just has so much more to it and that moment of nudity is when you see Alan at his most vulnerable, a state he has tried to avoid getting into.”
Based on a true story, Equus tells the story of 17-year-old Alan Strang. Passionate, yet disturbed, Strang’s pathological equine fascination drives him to blind six horses with a metal spike which leads to him being assessed by psychiatrist Dr Martin Dysart.
Tasked with uncovering the motive behind Strang’s violence, Dysart becomes embroiled in the young boy’s world of twisted spirituality, religion, passion and sexuality, causing him to question his own sanity and motivations in a world driven by consumerism.
Kai embraced the challenge all the way to the grand finale: “Of course I knew going into the audition what it was about because Daniel Radcliffe had famously done it and it was the play in which he got naked, so I knew what to expect.
“I’m not going to lie, I was quite nervous. When I got offered the part there was an element of fear but the fact that it scared me made me want to do it more. I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and go to places I haven’t been before, to push myself to develop as an actor and, I guess, as a human being as well.”
Many believe Alan’s equine fixation in the play is a metaphor for same-sex love, a notion that would have been more controversial when the play opened on Broadway in 1974. This concept is arguably made explicit in Bennett’s production which sees male actors doubling as characters and horses for the first time, rather than the traditional use of horsehead masks.
Ethan Kai believes it is more complicated: ‘That’s not something we were necessarily trying to put across to people but it’s amazing that people can come and take that away.”
The play does not make a definitive statement either way, allowing audiences to make up their own minds about the cause of Alan’s conduct. There is certainly more than one interpretation of the dramatic ending.
“The thing I love about this play is that it is left open,” says Ethan: “I have my own ideas as to why it was done and when I talked to Ned (Bennett) we discussed how it is very open-ended. They don’t spoon feed you the answers to why he is this way.”
This is a play which demands you bring your brain, your imagination and your compassion, but leave your judgements and hang-ups at home.
EXPRESS ONLINE EQUUS REVIEW HERE
Equus runs at Trafalgar Studios until September 7. For tickets please visit: equuswestend.com