Agutter, Kemp, et al. to Join Griffiths and Radcliffe in London Equus

Jenny Agutter and Will Kemp will appear in the much-anticipated London revival of Peter Shaffer’s Equus, which will have Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe and Tony Award winner Richard Griffiths in the central roles. The production, to be directed by Thea Sharrock, will play London’s Gielgud Theater from February 16 through June 9 and will open officially on February 27.

Equus tells the story of Alan Strang (Radcliffe), a deeply disturbed 17-year-old boy, and Martin Dysart (Griffiths), the psychiatrist who attempts to treat him. The play contains a lengthy nude scene during which Strang blinds six horses with a spike.

The London revival will also feature Joanna Christie, Jonathan Cullen, Colin Haigh, Karen Meagher, Gabrielle Reidy, Greig Cooke, Joel Corpuz, Temujin Gill, and Jami Quarrell. It will be designed by John Napier, who designed the original production, and will have lighting by David Hersey, movement by Fin Walker, and sound by Greg Clarke.

Agutter, who will play Hesther Solomon, played Jill Mason in the 1977 film version of Equus; her many other credits include The Railway Children, Logan’s Run, and The Alan Clark Diaries. Kemp, who will play Nugget, is best known for his starring roles in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake and Car Man.

The original Broadway production of Equus opened in 1974 and ran for 1,209 performances. Peter Firth and Anthony Hopkins created the roles of Strang and Dysart, respectively; Hopkins was succeeded in his role by such actors as Richard Burton, Alec McCowen, Anthony Perkins, and Leonard Nimoy.