by Sir Peter Shaffer
Australian exclusive
Presented by special arrangement with David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers in association with MacNaughton Lord 2000 Ltd
Sir Peter Shaffer’s seminal work is presented in Perth in startling new light for the first time in thirty years. Equus rocked the conservative majority when it stampeded the London stage in 1973, prompting outrage and awe in equal measure. Today it remains as potent, confronting and astounding as ever.
Sir Peter Shaffer wrote Equus in 1973, at a time when England was facing some of its greatest challenges: a recession and impending depression, social struggles were coming to the fore and it was a time of great uncertainty for many people and is built on the foundations of its time and there is no doubt that this is a pertinent moment in our history to revisit this work. But the true beauty of this play lies in its storytelling and the characters that inhabit its world. Alan Strang, a young boy of 17, is accused of blinding six horses with a metal spike. The man with the key to the boy's mind and future is psychiatrist Martin Dysart. It is Dysart’s fierce intellect, huge heart and sense of humour which helps us see this boy, his shocking crime and our own selves in a new light
A not-to-be missed event, an intimate drama of epic proportions, Equus uncovers our darkest secrets and deepest desires as Shaffer weaves a masterful thread through humanity, a thread that binds us all and draws us closer to the truth of who and what we really are. A psychiatrist is transformed by his patient, a boy is transformed by his passion and the waking world is transformed by our dreams.
One weekend I was driving with a friend through the bleak countryside. We passed a stable. Suddenly he was reminded by it of an alarming crime, which he had heard about recently at a dinner party in London. He knew only one horrible detail, and his complete mention of it could barely have lasted a minute – but it was enough to arouse in me an intense fascination.
Sir Peter Shaffer
1975 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award
1975 Tony Award for Best Play
Reviews
“Night of magic: McInnes gives a fine performance of this demanding role. Chittenden is electrifying as Strang. Shaffer’s Equus is still a magically transformative theatre experience.”
Ali Taulbut, The West Australian
"This seriously intelligent interpretation is one out of the box. ...It's what film tries to achieve but perhaps never really can."
John Kinsella, The Australian
"Equus was a disturbing, seductive and compelling production that continued to resonate long after the curtain fell."
Sarah Green, Australian Stage
"Melissa gives the lyrical 36-year-old play a sharp edge, with slick staging, exciting contemporary choreography by Gavin Webber and a sophisticated setting (Shaun Gurton), in which glass walls represent the fragile barrier between memory and reality, the conscious and the unconscious. ... an extraordinary play that has stood the test of time to be revived in an extraordinarily beautiful, powerful production by a strong cast."
Sarah McNeill, The Post
"It is one of the most intense theatre experiences West Australian audiences might ever have the chance to enjoy"
Daile Pepper, WA Today
"Chittenden drew the audience into its dark psychology, with his glares and stares that pierced the gloom of the theatre. The audience couldn't take their eyes off him as his ordered stillness would be shattered by the wild animal within. It was a tour de force... director Cantwell needs bouquets for making it such a powerful and resonant centerpiece."
Jan Hallam, Perth Now
"The rapturous applause from the audience at the end said it all. Totally magnificent"
Theatre Australia
Publicity
His Majesty's Theatre and Perth Theatre Company's Equus Media Release
"McInnes rides into town for Equus"
Steve Bevis
"Equus coup brings provocative play to Perth"
Daile Pepper
"William McInnes jumps back into the saddle for Equus"
Daile Pepper
High Tea with William McInnes
Khan's USA film debut
http://www.endlessbummerthemovie.com/
*Equus contains adult themes, nudity and strong language
Cast & Crew
- Di Bliss
Associate Producer - Jodie Buzza
Actor - Melissa Cantwell
Director - Khan Chittenden
Actor - Nick Coulson
Assistant Stage Manager - Wency De Souza
Sound Design - Murray Dowsett
Actor - Alexandra Fisher
Actor - Vivienne Garrett
Actor - Shaun Gurton
Set Designer - Peter Holland
Actor - Sue Kerr
Wardrobe - Paea Leach
Dancer - Russell Leonard
Dancer - Elizabeth McDonnell
Dancer - William McInnes
Actor - Caroline McKenzie
Actor - Joshua Mu
Dancer - Kingsley Reeve
Sound Designer / Composer - Sete Tele
Dancer - Joshua Thomson
Dancer - Graham Walne
Lighting Designer - Gavin Webber
Dance Choreographer
