Equus

Yes, it's true. I saw the new production of Equus in London. And it was cool. The same scenographer who did the original production in 1973 did this scenography as well. And it was AWESOME! The horse heads were stunning, but the best part were the HOOVES that they wore. There were metal grates on the floor in front of the stable stalls so when the horses stomped on them you got to hear a clang as well as the dull thud of the space under the stage. Amazing.

The show not only features Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter film fame, but it also features Richard Griffiths as the psychiatrist and he, evidently, plays Harry Potter's step-father in the films. Kinda weird to me, but, as Barra noted, it might make the whole experience a bit easier to have a friend right there with you, supporting you, challenging you.

Of course, Mr. Griffiths was ill on Saturday. So we saw the understudy who had to perform most of the show with the script in his hand. We had been warned of this immediately before the show because Barra's parents saw the matinee. Well, Colin Haigh did an excellent job. Even when he got midway through the first act (which he did without the script) and began to use the script, he still maintained his presence and delivered a solid performance.

And the guy who was the main horse, Nugget, was beautiful. All the horse choreography was powerful, but Will Kemp (who has danced with Matthew Bourne's company) was stellar.

The one big bummer was that we weren't told our seats were partially obscured viewing. It was further limited when a man sitting in very obstructed viewing seats STOOD UP at one point so he could see what was happening.