Standing in line to see Equus, you hear snippets of different conversations. Most of them were pretty irrelevant, but one phrase I heard a lot, was “Have you heard? Alfie Allen gets his kit off!”             I’d be a hypocrite if I said that this didn’t influence my decision to see Equus rather than another play. After all, the media have had a field day describing the nudity and strong language that Equus so fearlessly depicts. But, I guess that most people like me changed their mind when the curtain fell after the first Act. Because let me tell you now, once Equus gets you strapped into its harness, it won’t let go.

            Equus is the story of Alan Strang, a 17 year old boy who is referred to a child psychiatrist after blinding six horses in a single night. The idea is based on a true story that the playwright Peter Shaffer heard, which then influenced him to write the play, although the rest of the play is all fiction. The story is told mostly in flashbacks, as the psychiatrist Martin Dysart questions Alan using various different methods. This stylistic way of presenting the play’s events works very well, because it releases information to you the audience in such small pieces, that you constantly want to hear more. It is a winning formula for a play like Equus.

Another astounding key to Equus’ success is its stellar cast, who deal with the difficult dialogue whilst still bringing the important characters to life. Newcomer Alfie Allen presents Alan Strang in a very human way, giving the character and an essential dark side, yet handling the more humorous parts of the play with apparent ease. His cheeky smile is what probably brings most girls to the play, but they stay because of his acting talent that is sustained through out. Simon Callow plays Martin Dysart with such a deep understanding, and his clear, almost narrative voice fits perfectly in my opinion. He presents the character with a great honesty, and gives us as an audience someone to connect with for the duration of the play.

            There are so many golden moments in Equus, that the only way to appreciate them is to see them for yourself. However, there were some highlights that for me, really made the play stand out. Firstly, I loved the way that the horses were depicted in the play. Obviously, six real horses couldn’t be used, and the traditional “horse costume” used in pantomimes wouldn’t fit either, so the producers had to find another solution. So, they chose to use actors, wearing large metal horses’ heads and hooves. The actor’s moved in such a genius way, that you did believe that they were horses, and with the addition of some realistic sound effects, this aspect worked far better than I could have imagined. There is one scene in the First Act where Strang is surrounded by the horses, where they all move so realistically around him, and almost beat out a rhythm with their hooves. This made the play for me, and the horses were by far my favourite characters by the end of the play!
            Another highlight for me was Shaffer’s use of climax and anticlimax within the actual script. Through out the play, the dialogue builds up to a point where the characters are either shouting, or that there is huge build up of tension both on stage and in the audience. These climaxes literally have you sitting on the edge of your seat and almost involve you in the character’s emotions. But Shaffer’s real genius is in his use of anticlimaxes, where the tension is suddenly rapidly lost, making the audience feel at ease. These anticlimaxes, which generally use humour, help defuse the situations and make you relate to each character’s humanity, something which Equus relies on greatly.

            Generally, Equus is a play to be experienced, not just watched. In some ways, the clever dialogue reminds me very much so of Harold Pinter, a true master playwright, who is a genius at writing plays which involve the audience on a mental level. If you enjoy Equus as much as I have, you may want to look out for plays written by Harold Pinter, for example The Dumb Waiter.

            If you have read anything in the press about Equus being controversial, don’t let this put you off. The story in itself does hit several controversial topics, and is not frightened to bring up the sensitive subjects of religion or worship or even the subject of Strang displaying an almost sexual attraction to  the horses. But it is for this reason that Equus works so well and is so engrossing. It challenges our society, but in such a subtle way that you won’t even realise that it’s happening until you reflect on it afterwards. Unlike some other plays, Equus doesn’t try to justify its plot or its subject. It doesn’t need to. It merely allows you to judge it for yourself after you’ve left the theatre, something which few playwrights are brave enough to do today. It’s this honesty that in my mind, makes Equus so special, and makes you want to see it again just so you remember the experience.

            Equus isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. If you prefer naturalistic plays then you may want to give it a miss, because you’ll likely to just be frustrated by its stylised story telling. If you’re easily offended by strong language, nudity and sexual references then it’s probably not for you either. But, if you keep an open mind and accept Equus for what it is, then I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed. It might not be a play that changes the world, but it might just change your views on modern day theatre.

By Sian Gregory

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