When I first saw Peter Shaffer's Equus in the West End at the Albery Theatre in 1976 it felt a powerful and ground-breaking production. It’s shocking and graphic tale of a psychiatrist’s exorcism of Alan, a young seventeen old, whose violent act of blinding six horses he groomed provides a relevant examination of mental health issues and how society deals with them. Yet this revival feels rather dry and laboured at times by comparison with the original. 

Some of the scenes remain theatrical tour de forces as Martin explores the motivation and causes of his patient's actions. When we first meet Alan, he is with his favourite horse Nugget, played by Ira Mandela Siobhan who without the aid of costume brilliantly creates the animal on stage through movement, breathing and muscle flexing. It is extraordinary when we see Alan's first encounter with a horse on the beach or riding the horse on a midnight escapade how these transformations into the creatures are achieved. War Horse used puppetry and the original Equus wire framed heads but here it just magnificent performances.

The production is simply set by Georgia Lowe within a three-sided silk curtains arena that shimmer in the lights and bellow in the breeze. It leaves the lighting designed by Jessica Hung Han Yun to create the dramatic changing environment and the effect is wonderful with blue and red washes and flashes of projection. At other times the simplicity is taken too far, a Hoover denotes Alan's parents’ home, a trampoline his cell, and a row of lights the cinema screen; while these may be memories or flashbacks it leaves too much to the imagination. 

Ethan Kai is excellent as Alan, a young boy seemly on the edge of madness chanting advertisement theme tunes and gradually building trust or being tricked into sharing his secrets with Martin (a solid performance from Zubin Varia who remains on stage through most of the show). Natalie Radmall-Quirke provides good support as Hesther, the magistrate who refers Alan to Martin and Norah Lopez Holden as the young temptress, Jill, who tips Alan over the edge. His parents, Doreene Blackstock and Robert Finch explain the concern any parent would feel as people suggest they are to blame but there is a clear implication that religious fervour and strained martial relationships are a contributory factor.

This is a powerful play despite often being quite wordy, but the shocking revelations, dramatic interactions with the horses and revealing insight into the boy's thoughts through the scenes with his psychiatrist is engaging and thought provoking and remains a modern classic.

Nick Wayne

Four stars