Grimlock ♥ Ultra Magnus

There now?   Have I gotten your attention?

Because half-naked - or even 100% naked - Daniel Radcliffe is not a reason to read Equus.    The mythology, the fantastic mythology, cobbled together from sexual need, region, and the lust for the forbidden is.   

Because the main character in this story, Alan Strang, does create his own mythology influenced by a traumatic incident from his childhood, his mother's obsession with religion, and his own fascination with horses.   And slowly, slowly, his story is revealed with a mounting tension as each layer is peeled away. 

See, Alan blinded six horses one night, and instead of going to prison, he was committed. And his therapist slowly unravels his life story, or at least the parts that pertain to this horrific act that no one can understand at first.   And this doesn't take place just with Alan - his therapist talks to a friend, to Alan's mother and father, but it's all about Alan.   How Alan affects the therapist, or more information about why he blinded those horses.   

And this was something that I picked up in college, but when I picked it up again tonight, I simply couldn't put it down.  I had forgotten about all those details - the stories from the bible, from history, fiction, or the event that in fact does provide an explanation for Alan's actions.   I'd forgotten how this shone light on the human condition, both through Alan, and the therapist who questions what he's doing and if Alan has a more rich life due to his own form of religion.    At least Alan has galloped, and the therapist has not.   

This is absolutely chilling in the best way possible.   No wonder Daniel was chomping at the bit to do this play.  (There's a part where Alan puts a bit into his mouth.  I think it might be funnier if you've read the play.)

Anyway, wow, this play is pretty specific.   Lighting instructions are given in general terms, but how the lights are set up is specific.   There's also a ritual in which horse masks are put on actors who play horses, so Daniel's production did it wrong.   (It's also a little kinkier with dudes paying at horses in my opinion, and seeing as sexual tension is a theme in this story, I think that was done on purpose.   Someone totally missed that, though!)

Also, here, half naked dude pretending to be a horse!   I betcha this review is also kinkier than you guys expected.   Just slightly, but...

In all seriousness?   Do yourself a favor and read this play.   It's absolutely amazing, and only a little over a hundred pages.   Shaffer fit in a lot more in than I remember, and I don't think I fully understood the depth of this play the first time I read it, so the reread was due.