Equus at the Dolphin
Fri, 8 Sept 2000, 01:09 amToby Malone1 post in thread
Equus at the Dolphin
Fri, 8 Sept 2000, 01:09 amHaving read a number of Peter Shaffer's plays in the past few years (but not Equus!) and having been an active participant in the University Dramatic Society for the last five years, I was very much looking forward to seeing what UDS could do with such a controversial and confronting script. I didn't really know what to expect. I didn't know all that many of the actors or crew (being a high turnover type of company) and I knew that the directors were aiming pretty high with a really tough script for their maiden attempt on stage, so I was ready for either a valiant effort that didn't quite hit the mark, or something that would really pleasantly surprise me. I am pleased to say that it was the latter tonight.
Equus centres around the psychoanalysis of a 17 year old boy who has been charged with the maiming of six horses. It is quite a complicated script, with plenty of subtexts and tangents able to be read in the action if you so please. The small but receptive audience thoroughly enjoyed themselves, as many of the actors onstage clearly were too. (forgive my shocking grammar tonight - I need sleep!)
The staging was set up in what I hear is the traditional manner for Equus - that which Peter Shaffer set out in his stage directions. Since much of the staging was taken from the script, the space was used very economically, and other than a couple of points where actors would move about the space without any real sense of knowing where they were going, the set up of several benches surrounding a 'stage' area onstage was very effective. The cast remains onstage for the entire performance, (with one or two insignificant exceptions), and sat on their benches, ready for their cues. This obviously required great focus from those cast members who had little in way of lines - one or two visibly were 'drooping' by the end of each act, and others seemed to be focussed elsewhere while the action was playing out in front of them, which was a little distracting. Costuming was simple and effective, and the actors who played the horses were dressed in brown with rather menacing looking masks covering their heads. I particularly enjoyed Jamie MacNamara's performance of the horse - his reactions and movements were well researched.
The actors performed very well, and despite one or two slips in focus from time to time, particularly while latecomers were being seated, Simon Baldwin's Dr. Dysart was very well portrayed. Simon has an maturity in his performance that belies his years, and was very well suited to the role. Tony Petani as the afflicted Alan Strang was also very good, with great focus and intensity. Of particular note was a frighteningly powerful scene of a hypnotised Alan telling of his midnight rides with the horses. I particularly enjoyed the characterisations of two of the smaller roles - Emma Fisher's portrayal of Hesther Salomon was refreshing and wonderfully strong, while Zachary Gillam's representation of Alan's father was very compelling.
All in all, Equus was a great show. UDS has a reputation that fluctuates over the years - sometimes a great show, sometimes a slap-up job, (of course, I am not bagging UDS - I love the club and wish to promote as much as I can!) but I am here to say that Equus is one of the highlights of the UDS calendar of the last few years. Some misplaced 'ocker' accents midst some OTT English ones, as well as a slight focus problem were the only real deficiencies I found. Even though this closes in two days, I would still like to go on record to say that the UDS is not just for undergrads - they have attempted and succeeded in pulling together a top-notch show and first-time directors Rebecca Hill and Erin Fuery should be proud of themselves.
Equus centres around the psychoanalysis of a 17 year old boy who has been charged with the maiming of six horses. It is quite a complicated script, with plenty of subtexts and tangents able to be read in the action if you so please. The small but receptive audience thoroughly enjoyed themselves, as many of the actors onstage clearly were too. (forgive my shocking grammar tonight - I need sleep!)
The staging was set up in what I hear is the traditional manner for Equus - that which Peter Shaffer set out in his stage directions. Since much of the staging was taken from the script, the space was used very economically, and other than a couple of points where actors would move about the space without any real sense of knowing where they were going, the set up of several benches surrounding a 'stage' area onstage was very effective. The cast remains onstage for the entire performance, (with one or two insignificant exceptions), and sat on their benches, ready for their cues. This obviously required great focus from those cast members who had little in way of lines - one or two visibly were 'drooping' by the end of each act, and others seemed to be focussed elsewhere while the action was playing out in front of them, which was a little distracting. Costuming was simple and effective, and the actors who played the horses were dressed in brown with rather menacing looking masks covering their heads. I particularly enjoyed Jamie MacNamara's performance of the horse - his reactions and movements were well researched.
The actors performed very well, and despite one or two slips in focus from time to time, particularly while latecomers were being seated, Simon Baldwin's Dr. Dysart was very well portrayed. Simon has an maturity in his performance that belies his years, and was very well suited to the role. Tony Petani as the afflicted Alan Strang was also very good, with great focus and intensity. Of particular note was a frighteningly powerful scene of a hypnotised Alan telling of his midnight rides with the horses. I particularly enjoyed the characterisations of two of the smaller roles - Emma Fisher's portrayal of Hesther Salomon was refreshing and wonderfully strong, while Zachary Gillam's representation of Alan's father was very compelling.
All in all, Equus was a great show. UDS has a reputation that fluctuates over the years - sometimes a great show, sometimes a slap-up job, (of course, I am not bagging UDS - I love the club and wish to promote as much as I can!) but I am here to say that Equus is one of the highlights of the UDS calendar of the last few years. Some misplaced 'ocker' accents midst some OTT English ones, as well as a slight focus problem were the only real deficiencies I found. Even though this closes in two days, I would still like to go on record to say that the UDS is not just for undergrads - they have attempted and succeeded in pulling together a top-notch show and first-time directors Rebecca Hill and Erin Fuery should be proud of themselves.