LONDON - Daniel Radcliffe will strip off his Harry Potter eyeglasses and robes for his London stage debut next year.
The 17-year-old actor, who plays the bespectacled schoolboy wizard in the Hollywood adaptations of J.K. Rowling's novels, will star as a troubled stableboy in Peter Shaffer's "Equus."
The play delves into the psyche of a boy named Alan Strang who blinds six horses with a metal spike. The production is scheduled to open next March in the West End theater district, said spokesman Peter Thompson.
"It is an extraordinary play, and he's very much looking forward to the role," Radcliffe's spokeswoman, Vanessa Davies, said Friday. "He is maturing as an actor and beginning to take on new and challenging roles."
In one scene the actor playing Strang is required to simulate sexual ecstasy while riding a horse naked. But Davies said nudity was not the focus of the play.
Richard Griffiths, who plays Harry's Uncle Vernon in the films, is lined up to play the psychiatrist who interviews the troubled youth.
Radcliffe is now filming "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth installment in Harry's adventures, and recently finished shooting "December Boys," the story of four orphans who compete for adoption.
"Equus" opened in 1973 at London's National Theatre, before a successful run on Broadway starring Anthony Hopkins. Richard Burton starred in a 1977 film adaptation.
From my understanding, it's about a young guy who is in love with horses, and is sexually aroused by them. He never has sex with them... thank god. Otherwise, I would definately join in on a boycott for the film.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
Uh, I heard about this on the radio today, even the sleazy dj's who make fun of sex 24/7 on that station were sickened by the plot.
I dunno, I find the part about blinding the horses sick, and the sexual attraction to horses sick. And the dude is still 17, don't they have underage nudity laws in England?
The whole things makes me want to gag, so I am boycotting this English play. You know, in case I went to England and decided to see a play, I wouldn't see this one. No SIR!!!!!
I did hear that Micheal Jackson has season tickets.
I didn't know about this until the other day when this article showed up in our newspaper. We own the book Equus, and though I haven't gotten around to reading it yet, my friends all tell me that it's a really good book, so I'm expecting this to be a really good play. Sure it has a twisted plot, but if our wall of plays in the library tell me anything, it's that some of the best plays are seriously screwed up. I'm glad that Radcliffe is trying to break a bit with Harry. It would be sad if he could never be successful outside of the HP movies because people didn't want to see him playing anything else. Yes, his roll in this play is very different from Harry, but Radcliffe probably wanted that.
"Man is a marvelous curiosity ... he thinks he is the Creator's pet ... he even believes the Creator loves him; has a passion for him; sits up nights to admire him; yes and watch over him and keep him out of trouble. He prays to him and thinks He listens. Isn't it a quaint idea." Mark Twain
I think it's a good thing for actors/actresses who play repeat rolls such as harry potter or super hero's like spider man or super man to break free from their original rolls and do some different acting, but why did Danial have to pick THIS one! I mean seriously, he's Danial Radcliff, don't tell me it would have been impossible to get a spot on a different movie. yet he picked this. sexually aroused by horses? I'm sure this play is famous and all, but what kind of sicko freak is aroused by HORSES?
07-28-2006 05:02 PM
I don't know HOW they are going to do this. Guess that only time will tell, right?
I don't think that ANYTHING can top that scene in, "When Harry Met Sally." 
