Stage Dragon: Equus, A Master Class in Character Acting – Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Published on: 8 May, 2019
Updated on: 8 May, 2019

Ethan Kai is Alan Strang – Equus Production Photos ©The Other Richard

By Ferenc Hepp

A powerful and innovative version of Peter Shaffer’s classic, Equus,is brought to the Arnaud this week. This is the creation of the English Touring Theatre and Theatre Royal Stratford East on a tour which opened in Stratford earlier this year.

Equus was written in 1973 and had its premiere run at the National Theatre between 1973 and 1975. It also played on Broadway, was adapted into a film starring Richard Burton and Joan Plowright in 1977 and won numerous awards including the Tony for best play and best direction, and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for best play.

This version is directed by Ned Bennett and designed by Georgia Lowe, and we are greeted by an empty stage surrounded by white drapes and a painted floor, which leaves our imagination to wonder freely, allowing us to listen and find ourselves totally absorbed into the action and the words rather than be distracted by scenery and props.

Alan Strang (Ethan Kai) with one of the horses – Equus Production Photos ©The Other Richard

The plot centres on the true story of a 17-year-old boy called Alan Strang who has a psychological and religious fascination with horses. He ends up in a psychiatric ward under the care of Martin Dysart after he blinds six of the horses with a steel spike.

This is based on fact, but Shaffer’s work is a fictional account of what may have led Strang to his drastic actions because he was not aware of the background to this incident, near Suffolk.

The part of Dysart is played by Zubin Varla and what a part this is. He hardly leaves the stage for the two-hour, 40-minute play and maintains the characteristics of the psychiatrist tackling the extremely challenging role of trying to understand Strang’s motives. He gives us a master class in character acting.

To get to the level of performance which we witness on stage from Varla must have taken a lot of hard work but he makes it look absolutely effortless and natural. Ethan Kai holds our attention throughout with a powerful performance as Alan Strang, which makes us empathise with him as well as be wary for him at the same time. Not easy to achieve.

They are very ably supported by Robert Fitch, Keith Gilmore, Syreeta Kumar, Ruth Lass, Norah Lopez Holden and Ira Mandela Siobhan who all take on human roles, as well as that of horses, which include clever and agile movement work choreographed by Shelley Maxwell.

I would describe this play as a theatrical experience rather than a “sit back and enjoy an evening out”. Much of this is thanks to fantastic lighting effects by Jessica Hung Han Yun which emphasise the style of the piece perfectly.

Lowe’s clinical design with the white drapes which fall towards the end, revealing the lights behind, and also the artistic nudity, simply further enhance the themes of dropping inhibitions and exposing the bare reality behind the psychiatric mental state.

One could often hear a pin drop from an audience that included a large number of college students, which is always encouraging.

Equus runs until Saturday, May 11 and tickets are available via www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk or by calling the box office on 01483 440000.

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