Agutter and Kemp to Join Radcliffe and Griffiths in London Equus Revival
By John Nathan
10 Jan 2007
The full cast of the London revival of Peter Shaffer’s Equus, featuring "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe and Tony-winning History Boys star Richard Griffiths has been confirmed.
Shaffer’s disturbing classic opens at the Gielgud Theatre Feb. 27, following previews that begin Feb. 16.
Joining Radcliffe and Griffiths are Jenny Agutter, best known for her appearance in the 1970 film The Railway Children, and Will Kemp, star of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake. Agutter also appeared in the 1977 movie version of Equus winning a Best Supporting Actress BAFTA for her performance as Jill Mason. In the forthcoming stage production, Agutter will play Hesther Saloman.
In the revival of Shaffer’s 1973 play, Radcliffe will play the disturbed adolescent Alan Strang, an English stable boy who has blinded six horses with a spike. Griffiths takes on the role of psychiatrist Martin Dysart who attempts to discover the source of Strang’s psychosis. Shaffer based the play on a true story told to him by a friend.
The production, directed by Thea Sharrock (A Voyage Round My Father), the outgoing artistic director of West London’s Gate theatre, reunites Radcliff and Griffiths, who appeared together in the "Harry Potter" movies. The cast of Equus will also feature Joanna Christie, Jonathan Cullen, Colin Haigh, Karen Meagher, Gabrielle Reidy, Greig Cooke, Joel Corpuz, Temujin Gill and Jami Quarrell.
Equus producers David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers gave Radcliffe his first role in the West End as a celebrity guest in The Play What I Wrote. Shaffer’s play will make new demands of the teenage actor. As Strang, Radcliffe will perform a nude scene.
Like Shaffer’s The Royal Hunt For the Sun, recently revived by the Royal National Theatre, Equus premiered at the National’s Old Vic venue before transferring to Broadway where the play won a 1975 Tony Award and ran for over 1,000 performances.
Equus will be designed by the play’s original designer John Napier.
For more on Equus, call (0)870 50 0915.
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