"Equus" has opened

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In case you've been visiting relatives on Mars and are unaware of the news, "Equus," with Daniel Radcliffe of Daniel Potter fame, premiered Monday evening, February 27, 2007, at the Gielgud Theatre in London.

To call it a theatrical sensation would be an understatement.

One, it's the first major production on the London stage of the play since it's initial performance in 1973.

Two, the play itself is considered "one of the most controversial and acclaimed works in the English language." And a difficult work even under the best of circumstances. (See " 'The Telegraph.co.uk', 05/11/06, article - 'Harry Potter and the full frontal dilemma' ")

Three, star power. Especially as personified by one of the world's most recognizable teens, Daniel Radcliffe.

Four, male full frontal public nudity. This is always such a paradox. If nudity were accepted without guilt or trepidation, then such scenes would hold little enticement to an audience. But because there is such an associated taboo, it attracts attention, whether it be prurient, anatomical analysis, a celebration of the human form. or praise to a diety for divine interpretation.

Five, applicable in this case only, intergenerational curiosity. (I don't know what else to call it.)

Wikipedia's article on Age of Consent indicates that "...the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be capable of legally giving informed consent to any contract or behaviour regulated by law with another person. This article refers specifically to those laws regulating sexual acts."

Daniel is able to do it because the age of consent in England is 16. (But not necessarily the same in other parts of the U.K.; it also may vary in other parts depending on the gender of the participants.)

However, the legal conundrum is that the age of consent in the U.S. changes from state to state, but in general, it is fairly safe to say it is 18. So Daniel, who is 17, would not be allowed to participate in an American version, at this time.

Given all that, an article in " 'Daily Mail,' 03/01/07, article - 'Harry Potter and the curse of the screaming groupies' ", (by Jane Fryer), had some cheeky comments to make on the phenomenon:

["We all know what's coming. Throats are cleared, programmes closed, bottoms adjusted and binoculars fought over. And, finally, at exactly 9.30pm and after weeks of feverish anticipation, Harry Potter (a.k.a. Daniel Radcliffe) takes off his clothes - every last pant and sock - and drops them in an untidy pile on the floor before us.

"Oh my goodness..." I squeak. "He's quite something."

"Isn't he just?" whispers the woman next to me out of the corner of her mouth. "And surprisingly hirsute, if I might say...crikey, just look at that six-pack. And chest. And tummy...Wow! Who'd have thought it?"

"You should be ashamed of yourselves," hisses a bald man two seats down. "That's Harry Potter you're talking about. He's only 17!"

Suitably chastised and pink-cheeked we are silent, but continue to stare. We are not alone in our admiration. Every one of the 980-strong first-night audience at London's Gielgud Theatre is slack-jawed in concentration.

The entire royal circle has opera glasses poised. Those lucky enough to snag a box are hanging out of them in excitement and the celebrities in the stalls are gawping like teenagers.

Graham Norton looks all boyish and dreamy. Jamie Theakston is in a trance. Neil Kinnock is transfixed and dear old Cilla looks on the verge of tears. If someone's mobile went off now, there'd be a lynching."]

Most of what I've reading has been most complimentary, even glowingly so, of his performance. I admire his sheer determination. This is a very demanding play for even the most skilled performer. It must be totally draining. Alan will always be with you as long as you're in the play. You can never escape him. And then to engage in ten or fifteen minutes of full frontal nudity in front of almost a thousand people must be truly harrowing.

I've also read that by the time of the nude scene, the audience is so engrossed "that you could hear a pin drop." Absolute silence is the norm.

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I'm posting a second photo that has nothing to do with nudity, but it does show Daniel Radcliffe's character, Alan Strang, smoking. A bit that has been in the play from day one. There's been almost as much controversy about the smoking as about the nudity.

There's something unnerving about this photo of Daniel. He has the look of a character that appeals to you, but at the same time, you sense secrets and the unknowable. The instantaneous term that popped into my head was "serial killer."

On Daniel's part, this is a brilliant dramatic decision. He will eventually play Harry Potter in seven films. And he will forever be identified with that character. But by choosing a role about as far from Harry as you can get, he has gone a long way in defusing the acquired persona. He has also done something else that is unusual; he's gone from film to stage, which proves his abilities are not limited to film alone..

Another actor who has followed a similar path is Elijah Wood. He moved from Frodo to a memory-mapping technician in ""Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" to a brutal killer in "Sin City" to a British football hooligan in "Hooligans." He's also stayed very busy. IMDB indicated he has done 17 roles since "The Return of the King" which dates from 2003.

PAX! Erin Go Braugh!