Equus (The SOB Review) - Broadhurst Theatre, New York, New York**1/2 (out of ****)Such microscopic detail has been given to
Daniel Radcliffe's first full frontal stage outing via
Equus that all focus on the revival's dubious storyline has been obfuscated.
At its very core,
Peter Shaffer's disturbing play -- about a young stable boy trading his love for Jesus with his worship of horses, only to gouge their eyes out when he can't engage in normal human contact -- gives enormous credit to psychobabble quackery while ironically attempting to discredit deeply held religious beliefs. Shaffer's preachy, provocative work merely trades one set of beliefs with another.
Nevertheless,
Thea Sharrock's taut reins provide a highly stylized, theatrical, and yes homoerotic mounting that is visually astonishing. As the designer of both set and costumes, it's clear that
John Napier's focus was on the latter, especially given this revival's sensually strapping stallions played by
Lorenzo Pisoni (Nugget),
Marc Spaulding,
Collin Baja,
Tyrone Jackson,
Spencer Liff and
Adesola Osakalumi.
In a stunning departure from his beloved portrayal of Harry Potter, in which the world has watched him grow up, Radcliffe draws a line in the sand with his chingle-changle, letting the world know that he is most definitely an adult. In taking on the difficult role of Alan Strang, Radcliffe not only rises to the challenge, but triumphs over ever being typecast in the future. One can only hope that Radcliffe will continue in that great British tradition of balancing his acting career between movies and the stage.
Radcliffe certainly benefits by playing opposite
Richard Griffiths as Alan's psychiatrist Martin Dysart. With a performance marked with soft-spoken subtlety, especially given his character's ultimate descent into his own delusions, Griffiths once again proves a master of the stage. (However, I would add here that whenever this Tony-winning actor was facing away from me
and speaking, I could barely register what he was saying. A deficiency perhaps in
Gregory Clarke's sound design?).
Can I enthusiastically recommend this mounting of
Equus? Because of the subject matter itself, my response, unfortunately, is "Neigh." But for anyone wishing to see sheer stagecraft at its best, by all means see it.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Daniel Radcliffe, Equus, Harry Potter, John Napier, Peter Shaffer, Play, Revival, Richard Griffiths, The SOB Review, Thea Sharrock
No Horsing Around With Equus Critical ResponseLast evening, the second Broadway mounting of
Peter Shaffer's
Equus opened at squarely the
Broadhurst Theatre. The
Thea Sharrock-helmed transfer from London stars
Daniel Radcliffe and
Richard Griffiths. Overall, the critics were enamored with Radcliffe's turn, even if they found the material dated.
Concluding that Radcliffe's "delivery here is as confident and compelling as his febrile physicality -- whether fully clothed and wary or naked and defenseless,"
Variety's
David Rooney asserts that the performances eclipse the material: "Daniel Radcliffe significantly helps overcome the fact that Peter Shaffer's 1975 Tony winner doesn't entirely hold up. The play is an astute career move for the 'Harry Potter' frontman as he confidently navigates the transition from child stardom to adult roles -- and Radcliffe's performance provides
Equus with a raw emotional nerve center that renders secondary any concerns about its wonky and over-explanatory psychology."
While noting that Sharrock's direction "in many respects lacks the power that flowed through John Dexter's original staging,"
Clive Barnes of
New York Post heaps praise on Radcliffe in his three out of four star review: "Despite his almost total lack of stage experience ... Radcliffe, with his luminously intense eyes and fragile but wiry body, looks wonderfully right as Alan, the 17-year-old British boy besotted by everything equine. His acting, beautifully understated and withdrawn, has just the right manner for this horribly mixed-up adolescent, at the prey of a wayward religiosity and a twisted sexuality cemented together with suburban hypocrisy."
Deeming this an "oddly arid revival,"
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times delivers praise for the performers, while casting doubt on the show's premise: "Mr. Griffiths and Mr. Radcliffe ... are delivering utterly credible and often affecting performances. And I was always thoroughly engaged by their scenes together, which generate the genuine tension of clashing minds longing to meld. The problem with such well-considered acting is that it throws a clear and merciless light on the hokum of the play as a whole."
Ultimately proclaiming the production "haunting and powerful,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News applauds the performances, but also takes issue with the script in his three out of five star critique: "Yes, (Radcliffe)'s terrific and gives a passionate performance as Alan Strang, the 17-year-old stable hand who worships -- and blinds -- six horses. Yes, he's nude in a scene, but not gratuitously. And yes, he's (at least partially) in good company in the revival of Peter Shaffer's play, which intrigues but shows its age.
Calling this a "more than serviceable Broadway revival" that's "directed here a bit too flashily,"
The New York Sun's
Eric Grode offers a mixed review: "It is ironic and a bit unfortunate, then, that Mr. Radcliffe's performance is by far the more controlled and Mr. Griffiths's the looser.... In general, however, Mr. Radcliffe accentuates the strains of evasion and scorn common to all adolescents without slighting the deeper veins of unrest. And even though Mr. Griffiths falls back on rumpled-academic shtick here and there -- with much rubbing of the eyes and scratching of the head as he ruminates -- he also gives Dysart a welcome burst of energy whenever his assumptions are jostled."
UPDATE (September 27, 2008, 11:10 p.m. EDT): Calling the "work a team effort, a triumph even,"
Back Stage critic (and
Clyde Fitch Report blogger) Leonard Jacobs writes: "Sometimes theatre professionals and audiences recall great original productions with an 'I was there, you weren't' mentality that excludes the unfortunate and the unborn.... [I]t's inevitable that director Thea Sharrock's stirring revival of Peter Shaffer's
Equus will be compared with John Dexter's original 1974 staging of the play, for which Dexter and Shaffer won Tonys. But how wrong-headed it would be for this brooding, marvelous play and this revival's gifted lead actors to be viewed on anything but their own well-deserved terms.... As the play delves ever deeper into Strang and his psyche, Radcliffe visibly churns with the feelings erupting inside him. Here, too, Griffiths is gracious, almost loving toward his co-star."
I'll be taking in a performance over the next couple days and will let you know whether I share any of the critics' sentiments.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Daniel Radcliffe, Equus, Play, Revival, Richard Griffiths, Thea Sharrock, Transfer
Equus' Barn Door Opens
Equus' Barn Door OpensThis evening, all of Broadway's eyes will be squarely focused on Rialto's
Broadhurst Theatre as the first Great White Way revival of
Peter Shaffer's
Equus finally opens.
What makes
Thea Sharrock's mounting of particularly compelling interest is that it pits
Daniel Radcliffe, as psychotic stable boy Alan Strang, against
Richard Griffiths, as the psychiatrist attempting to help him.
The original Broadway production of
Equus opened at the
Plymouth Theatre (now the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre) 31 years ago. This first revival comes galloping to the Main Stem boards after first opening at London's Gielgud Theatre early last year to
mixed reviews.
Will New York critics respond similarly? Find out tomorrow as I provide my critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Daniel Radcliffe, Equus, Opening Night, Play, Revival, Richard Griffiths
Broadway Preview: EquusNearly 31 years after the one and only Broadway production of
Equus opened at the
Plymouth Theatre (now the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre),
Peter Shaffer's disturbing play is set to commence its Rialto revival at the
Broadhurst Theatre on September 5, with an opening scheduled for September 25.
What makes this staging of particular widespread interest is that a naked
Daniel Radcliffe (yes,
Harry Potter himself) will make his Broadway debut as Alan Strang, a psychotic young stable boy who finds sexual pleasure in blinding horses and riding them.
Radcliffe reprises the role he first took on across the pond in the early 2007, ahem,
mounting in London.
Thea Sharrock helms this transfer as she did in the West End, and
Richard Griffiths will once again portray Strang's doctor, Martin Dysart. Additionally, it was announced just last week that
Kate Mulgrew will join the cast as Hester Salomon.
Winner of the Tony Award for Best Play in 1975, the original
Equus opened October 24, 1974 and ran for 1209 performances before closing on October 2, 1977. The play's original cast was nothing short of breathtaking, featuring such major theatrical names as
Anthony Hopkins,
Roberta Maxwell,
Marian Seldes and
Frances Sternhagen. Director
John Dexter took home a Tony for Best Director, while
Peter Firth was honored with a Tony for his portrayal of Strang.
When this revival of
Equus opened at London's Gielgud Theatre in early 2007,
critics were mixed in their assessments. But given the high profile status of Radcliffe, the show offered a box office bonanza.
Expect the same, plus perhaps a more mature Radcliffe when this transfer is finally trotted out for Broadway critics and audiences alike. While he'll bare his soul and everything else, just don't expect the young star to sign any autographs.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Broadway Preview: A Tale Of Two Cities (June 28, 2008)
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Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
Broadway Transfer For Equus Mounts In 2008 (April 20, 2007)
Labels: Daniel Radcliffe, Equus, Harry Potter, Kate Mulgrew, Peter Firth, Peter Schaffer, Play, Revival, Richard Griffiths, Transfer
Broadway Transfer For Equus Mounts In 2008
It is reported that the show will go on tour throughout the United Kingdom for twelve weeks and then embark on a transfer: first to Broadway and then to Australia. The Rialto transfer is reportedly planned for 2008.
The story also notes that the revival -- most famous for its star
Daniel Radcliffe showing his
Harry Potter acumen is no flash in the pan -- easily recouped its investment in a quick eight weeks. Whether Radcliffe and
Richard Griffiths will be coming stateside remains to be seen.
Expect box office gold should Radcliffe reprise his role in New York. Fortunately, Radcliffe will have turned 18 by then.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories: Labels: Broadway, Daniel Radcliffe, Equus, First Word On New Show, London, Play, Revival, Richard Griffiths, Transfer
Did Critics Take To Remount Of Equus?Two nights ago, 17 year old actor
Daniel Radcliffe made his West End debut in the new revival of
Peter Schaffer's
Equus.
Alongside veteran actor
Richard Griffiths as his shrink Dysart, Radcliffe has taken a major departure from his previous roles by portraying a psychotic stable boy named Alan Strang, who enjoys sexual gratification while riding horses he has blinded. The reviews were across the board.
In offering up four out of five stars,
The Guardian's
Michael Billington appears to be the most enthusiastic: "The revelation of this revival is that Daniel Radcliffe really can act....His performance also helps to camouflage the fact Peter Shaffer's celebrated ritual drama sometimes betrays its early 1970s origins....Griffiths lends the part his own air of vulnerable humanity; and by the end, although I dispute Dysart's arguments about reductive normality, I was moved by Griffiths's genuine affection for his patient."
Although he takes issue with the source material,
Charles Spencer of
The Telegraph says this
Equus "packs a terrific theatrical punch in
Thea Sharrock's powerful revival...Daniel Radcliffe brilliantly succeeds in throwing off the mantle of
'Harry Potter,' announcing himself as a thrilling stage actor of unexpected range and depth....Despite minimal previous theatrical experience Radcliffe here displays a dramatic power and an electrifying stage presence that marks a tremendous leap forward....Richard Griffiths...once again reveals what a superb actor he is. He conducts the psychotherapy sessions with Radcliffe with a beautiful tenderness, understanding and humour that proves deeply moving."
In offering three out of five stars,
The Times'
Benedict Nightingale is lukewarm: "Radcliffe proves an assured actor and makes a perfectly able equimaniac. He can do aggression and pain, and, oddly, is lacking only in the sense of magic and wonder the part demands. The second is that, though gripping and theatrically skilful,
Equus is at root dated, pretentious and even a bit pernicious."
Although he says the premise "works as theatre" in his three-out-of-five star review,
Nicholas de Jongh of
The Evening Standard appears chafed: "Richard Griffiths is far too affable, winsome and relaxed as the psychiatrist Dysart....Griffiths...packs no emotional punch...while Radcliffe's touching, little-boy lost Alan never convinces you he is wild with desire for horses or girls."
In a mostly negative review,
The Independent's
Paul Taylor notes: "In the event, Radcliffe acquits himself well. He is not the most expressive of actors, and his stage presence will take time to evolve; but from the moment he enters the psychiatrist's office, shoulders hunched, eyes narrowed and singing advertising jingles to avoid questioning, he cuts a compelling figure. As the evening goes on, there are moments when he touches, even if not tugs at, the heart strings....If the production is well served by Radcliffe, he is not that well served by the production....As the psychiatrist, Richard Griffiths commands the stage as he always does; but his was not an interpretation I warmed to."
Of course at this stage, the reviews are rather inconsequential. Nothing will stop the throngs of "Harry Potter" fans and those curious over the unveiling of a new stage star from seeing this show.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
Barely Trotter? Daniel Radcliffe Set for Equus Mounting (July 28, 2006)
Labels: Critics' Capsule, Daniel Radcliffe, Equus, Harry Potter, London, Play, Revival, Richard Griffiths
