History Theatre / Equus

A 1973 play by Creator/PeterShaffer, ''Equus'' was adapted by its author into a 1977 film directed by Creator/SidneyLumet and starring Creator/RichardBurton.

* BadDreams: Dysart's Greece dream in scene 5, and Alan's frequent dreams concerning "Ek" [[spoiler: or Equus.]]

[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/equus_1977_film_poster.jpg]]

->-- '''Martin Dysart'''

A play by Creator/PeterShaffer that opened in 1973, ''Equus'' became a film in 1977 also written by Shaffer. In the play and film, a psychiatrist, Martin Dysart is called to investigate the case of a stableboy named Alan Strang. Alan, out of a religious and sexual fascination with horses, savagely blinded six horses with a metal spike. As he examines the boy, and his fascination, Dysart starts to have doubts about whether he can really help him, or whether turning people to a "normal" way of thinking is always the right thing to do.

A play by Peter Shaffer that opened in 1973, ''Equus'' became a film in 1977 also written by Shaffer. In the play and film, a psychiatrist, Martin Dysart is called to investigate the case of a stableboy named Alan Strang. Alan, out of a religious and sexual fascination with horses, savagely blinded six horses with a metal spike. As he examines the boy, and his fascination, Dysart starts to have doubts about whether he can really help him, or whether turning people to a "normal" way of thinking is always the right thing to do.

* CaliforniaDoubling: Set in England, filmed in Toronto, for tax reasons.

* BadDreams: Dysart's Greece dream in scene 4, and Alan's frequent dreams concerning "Ek" [[spoiler: or Equus.]]

* ShoutOut: There's a reference to "standing in the darkness, stabbing at heads" which seems to refer to the play ''Theatre/{{Agamemnon}}'' by Creator/{{Aeschylus}}.

* MaleFrontalNudity: The script calls for the actor playing Alan to appear naked on stage. Predictably, the production starring Creator/DanielRadcliffe spawned countless jokes about Film/HarryPotter showing his "wand." Curiously, the script only calls for the actor playing Alan to mime stripping, never actually requiring any nudity. Radcliffe took it upon himself to nude it up.

* SignificantDoubleCasting: Traditionally the actor who plays the rider who gives Alan his first horseback ride also plays his favorite horse Nugget, which highlights Alan's confusion over his sexuality.

* DawsonCasting: Frequently done with regards to 17-year-old Alan for understandable reasons. Peter Firth, the originator of the role, was twenty-four years old when the film version starring him was released. Averted by the 2007 West End revival (you know, the one that got the MoralGuardians up in arms).

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Or rather, the horses--we're not told their fate after Alan blinds them, although [[MercyKill one can guess.]]
** Not necessarily, most barns have some blind or half-blind horse that get along quite fine and can even be ridden. Remember that a horse's primary senses are hearing and smell.
*** Interesting, since a horse's eyes are the largest of any land mammal.

* ShoutOut: There's a reference to "standing in the darkness, stabbing at heads" which seems to refer to the play ''Theatre/{{Agamemnon}}'' by Creator/{{Aeschylus}}.

* MaleFrontalNudity: The script calls for the actor playing Alan to appear naked on stage. Predictably, the production starring Creator/DanielRadcliffe spawned countless jokes about Film/HarryPotter showing his "wand."
** Actually, the script only calls for the actor playing Alan to mime stripping, never actually requiring any nudity. Radcliffe took it upon himself to nude it up.

* BestKnownForTheFanservice: Deep themes phooey: some folks are only interested in the nudity.
** Particularly Creator/DanielRadcliffe; the fact that he was nude on stage is the only reason a lot of people have ever heard of this play.

* ButYouScrewOneGoat: Alan can't distinguish between affection for horses and sexual attraction.

A play by Peter Shaffer that opened in 1973, ''Equus'' became a film in 1977 also written by Shaffer. In the play and film, a psychiatrist, Martin Dysart is called to investigate the case of a stable boy named Alan Strang. Alan, out of a religious and sexual fascination with horses, savagely blinded six horses with a metal spike. As he examines the boy, and his fascination, Dysart starts to have doubts about whether he can really help him, or whether turning people to a "normal" way of thinking is always the right thing to do.

* EveryoneRemembersTheStripper: Deep themes phooey: some folks are only interested in the nudity.

* NeverMyFault: Dora, who says her son is possessed by the devil.

* ShoutOut: There's a reference to "standing in the darkness, stabbing at heads" which seems to refer to the play ''Agamemnon'' by Aeschylus.

* MaleFrontalNudity: The script calls for the actor playing Alan to appear naked on stage. Predictably, the production starring Creator/DanielRadcliffe spawned countless jokes about HarryPotter showing his "wand."

** Particularly DanielRadcliffe; the fact that he was nude on stage is the only reason a lot of people have ever heard of this play.

* MaleFrontalNudity: The script calls for the actor playing Alan to appear naked on stage. Predictably, the production starring DanielRadcliffe spawned countless jokes about HarryPotter showing his "wand."

-> ''Passion, you see, can be destroyed by a doctor. It cannot be created.''
-> -- '''Martin Dysart'''