Equus
Equus
Posted: 11 Sep 2011
Equus
Gala Theatre, Durham.
Friday, 9 September 2011
When I first saw this play at The Sunderland Empire in 1976 it was notorious because of the full frontal nudity that caused some audience members to walk out in disgust. In Durham in 2011 the nudity is of no consequence other than as an essential part of Peter Shaffer’s classic play. That is not least because this touring production by London Classic Theatre, directed by Michael Cabot, is riveting.
The only disappointing moment is when there is a break after 80 minutes. By this stage you are gripped and want to know what happens next despite the obvious attractions of an interval Magnum.
Alan Strang has blinded six horses. The play deals with this horror and explores why a person might commit such a deeply awful act. Psychiatrist Martin Dysart gradually unravels the explanation in this complex psychological thriller that makes you understand that behind every appalling story you might hear on the news there may well be a reason – however unpleasant – for what has happened.
The interaction between Malcolm James as Dysart and Strang, played by Matthew Pattimore, was so intense that each audience member felt as if they were a secretary sitting quietly in the corner of Kerry Bradley’s impressive set which echoed Dysart’s passion for Ancient Greece.
A three-night run in Durham was the start of a national tour that runs until late November and calls in at the Queen’s Hall in Hexham on 17 September. While nudity upset the straighter-laced members of the Wearside public in the mid-seventies, the upsetting aspect of this performance is that, despite top priced tickets being a very reasonable £13, the modern, comfortable venue of the Gala Theatre was only half full. Both the place and the play deserved better.
Barbara Mason
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