Equus Tickets
Equus transfers to London's West End - don't miss out on tickets to this dark psychological tale.Recommended for ages 14+
Performance dates
6 July - 7 September 2019
Run time 2 hours 35 minutes (including interval)
Includes interval
Top Rated Show
Reviewers highly rate this show
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Trafalgar Theatre Productions, Mallory Factor for Hill Street Productions, Emmanuel Ciolfi, Francis Hellyer and GWB Entertainment present The English Touring Theatre and Theatre Royal Stratford East production of EQUUS.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Telegraph | Evening Standard | Observer | WhatsOnStage | Broadway World
‘You will not see a better production of this masterpiece’ Observer
Tickets for the West End transfer of Equus tickets available now.
Earlier this year Equus had a stunning 5-star run at the Theatre Royal Stratford East that kicked off a national tour with English Touring Theatre. Now, award-winning director Ned Bennett is bringing his incredible revival of Peter Shaffer's Equus to London's Trafalgar Studios. This incredible production is not to be missed and is coming to London for a limited 9-week run, tickets for Equus are sure to be some of the season's hottest tickets. Act fast to guarantee you get the very best seats at the very best prices.
What is Equus about?
Six horses have been mutilated with a metal spike, the question isn’t who committed the heinous act, but why. Dr Martin Dysart must try to discover what drove 17-year-old stable boy Alan Strang to commit the grisly crime. The psychiatrist becomes a detective as he searches for Alan’s motives. As Dysart delves further into Alan’s world of warped worship, sexuality and religious fervour, he begins to question himself- his own sanity and motivations.
Peter Shaffer’s dark psychological play looks into what it means to be normal, and what compels us to do the things we do. The shocking production has garnered numerous 5-star reviews from leading national publications and the West End transfer of Equus is expected to thrill critics and audiences alike.
Trafalgar Studios Equus cast and creatives
The Stratford East cast of Equus will return for the Trafalgar Studios run and this should have audiences overjoyed. The cast were lauded all round for their performances, in particular, stars Ethan Kai (Goats at the Royal Court Theatre) as teenager Alan Strang and Zubin Varla (Jesus Christ Superstar at the Lyceum Theatre) as Martin Dysart. They are joined by Ira Mandela Siobhan (Feast at The Young Vic) as Young Horseman/Nugget, Keith Gilmore (Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare's Globe) as Harry Dalton/Nurse/Horse, Norah Lopez Holden (The Winter's Tale at Shakespeare's Globe) as Jill Mason/Horse, Robert Fitch (Frank Strang/Horse Wait Until Dark at the Garrick Theatre), Ruth Lass (The Tempest at the Barbican) as Hester Salomon/Horse, Syreeta Kumar (Made in India, The Husbands at the Soho Theatre) as Dora Strang/Horse.
Sir Peter Shaffer is an award-winning playwright with over a dozen highly successful plays to his credit. Aside from Equus, which has long been his most successful play, his most famous play is Amadeus, which won both Tony and Evening Standard Drama Awards for Best Play. The critical success of Amadeus spawned a film adaptation, which went on to win the 1985 Academy Award for Best Picture.
Ned Bennett has been much praised for his revival of Equus. He trained as a director at the Royal Court, LAMDA and National Theatre. Many of the plays he has directed have won awards, including the Bruntwood Prize-winning Yen at the Manchester Royal Exchange, the recent Evening Standard Award-winning play An Octoroon, and the multiple award-winning play Pomona.
What audiences have been saying about Ned Bennett's Equus
"I thought this production was absolutely excellent, revelatory really. Very simple, startling, theatrical, but nothing went to waste; it was very spare and excellent performances all around. I recommend it very strongly to people who have seen the play before, and people who don't know it." – Sir Ian McKellen
"That was one of the most beautiful and moving pieces. The examples of Ned Bennett's work that stand out in this are just amazing. Just mind-blowing." – Martina Laird
“The actors portraying the horses are absolutely phenomenal. It’s extremely believable, every detail of the movement and of the energy of the presence is thought of and beautifully done."
“It was really phenomenal and really capturing of the intensity of the play.” – Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz Obe
The Stratford East production of Equus has now recently been shortlisted for the ADB Award at the 2019 Knight of Illusion Awards ceremony this year.
Tickets for Equus at Trafalgar Studios on sale now!
Tickets for Equus’ West End run are expected to be in high demand so be sure to act quickly to secure your seats. Book Equus tickets for the limited Trafalgar Studios run sharpish to make certain you have the most affordable tickets whilst stocks last.
Content
This production contains themes of violence and discussions of mental health. It also contains scenes of sexual violence, full frontal nudity, strong language and adult themes. The production contains strobe lighting (7 seconds), haze, loud noises and the smoking of herbal cigarettes. Not suitable for persons under 14 years of age.Recent Reviews
Incomparable show, Ethan Kai and Zubin Varia just stunning. Great theatre staff, loved the theatre. Best night out of my life.
The play itself is brilliant and this was an imaginative and dynamic production. The intimacy of the venue was extremely effective.
A phenomenal performance of a deeply moving play!
Absolutely stunning performance! Loved it!
A stimulating version. Staff at the theatre very helpful.
This was a superb, highly dramatic staging, with fantastic acting, especially the two leads.
A brilliant cast and a fascinating play that is well directed . Go !
Fantastic show. Exceeded my expectations
Equus is a fascinating play and Peter Shaffer's handling of the topic of mental health has stood the test of time. Indeed the play was ahead of its time when it was first staged at the National Theatre in the 1970s. Today we are much more aware of some, but not all, of the issues. The topic is not for the squeamish as it concerns the case of Alan Strang, aged 17, who has blinded with a spike six horses in the stable where he works. However, Equus is about relationships as much as mental health the relationship between Alan, the psychopathic teenager, and Dysart, his troubled psychiatrist; between Dysart and Hester Saloman, the magistrate who begs him to treat Alan; between Alan and his parents; between his atheist controlling father Frank and his religiously obsessive mother Dora; and between Alan and Jill, the stable girl who seeks to seduce him, which provokes his violent act. Questions about mental health also concern Dysart, who is openly at odds with his profession and protests when the well-meaning Hesther asks him to make Alan 'normal'? ‘What is normal?’ he keeps asking. Indeed he comes to admire Alan's spontaneity and passion (for horses) which are sadly lacking in his own life and marriage. The piece has an undertow of religion, family secrets, suppression, and sexuality – is Alan's equine passion a metaphor for same sex relationships? So many thought-provoking questions stay with you long after the performance. This is a bravura production involving all the players, notably Zubin Varla as the troubled Dysart and Ethan Kai as Alan. It also includes the horses represented by members of the cast, especially Ira Mandela Siobhan as Nugget, the physically powerful horse which Alan reimagines as Equus. The tension is sustained throughout without ever descending into melodrama. Everyone in the production team deserves credit, from the simple set and dramatic lighting, to choreography and sound/music direction. Most of all, the director Ned Bennett proves a formidable force to be reckoned with and a name to follow in the world of theatre. While it may be disappointing that this production has not appeared on a big stage, the intimate atmosphere of Trafalgar Studios is a clear benefit. These magnificent performances and this smart production are worthy of a wider audience. Shaffer’s play, at least, bears close study. Nick Keith
Profound, moving, surprising, intense, quality, informative
I missed the theatrical touches which the horses in the original production had with their raised hooves and metal work heads - at 8 ft or so they were impressive and convincing in a way the actors here, relying solely on imitation, could not approach. Nonetheless, the production was convincing and dramatic.
Incredible performance with some notable brilliance
Latest Equus News
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News / Awards
Who won at the 2020 Off-West End Awards?
The winners of the 2020 Offies have been announced.
The biggest winner of the Off-West End Awards this year proved to be Equus, which took home a total of three Offies including the award for Best Director (Ned Bennett) and Best Production. Gemma Barnett also notably took home the award for Best Female Performance in a Play for her one-woman monologue show A Hundred Words for Snow at Trafalgar Studios. Meanwhile, Best New Play was awarded to the Theatre503 production of Ross Willis' Wolfie whilst Best Male Performance in a Play went to Cary Crankson for his performance in Country Music at the Omnibus Theatre.
As far as the musical categories are concerned, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the Union Theatre and Amour at the Charing Cross Theatre each picked up two prizes with the latter taking home Best New Musical in particular.
Read the list of winners in full below.
9 Mar, 2020 | By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels
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Features / New Shows + Transfers
What’s closing in London Theatre this month? (September 2019)
It’s the start of a new season and time to head back to school, but with all the new starts that September is bringing, we still must wave goodbye to some wonderful West End shows! Family favourites like Where is Peter Rabbit? and Peter Pan will be closing their doors to make way for the new. The theatre world is in constant change and whilst that’s a big part of its culture, we still get sad to see shows leave. Read below to see what shows are closing in September and be sure to hurry and get your tickets to your favourites and your must-sees before it’s too late.
1 Sep, 2019 | By Jade Ali
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News / Awards
Nominees announced for 2019 Knight of Illumination Awards
The shortlist for this year's Knight of Illumination Awards has officially been announced. Having first started in 2007 and having been conceived by lighting designers Durham and Jennie Marenghi in partnership with Claypaky, the KOI has quickly become the leading showcase for both stage lighting and video design. It is now also the most credible UK awards ceremony for projection, lighting, and digital design for the entertainment industry thanks in large part to its three panels of expert judges who cooperate with such renowned organisations as the STLD (The Society of Television Lighting and Design) and the ALD (The Association of Lighting Designers).
See the list of nominees for the 2019 Knight of Illumination Awards below.
7 Aug, 2019 | By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels
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Features
The naked truth behind the most 'shocking' scene in Equus
To perform fully nude on stage takes a lot of... well... balls. But that hasn't stopped Ethan Kai from baring it all in Equus' most notorious scene. While West End audiences and/or prudes may be 'shocked' by the near-ten minutes of 'glory,' Kai insists "the nude scene is shocking but necessary." But why does the scene continue to be so controversial? Do audiences let it distract them from the play itself? And is there really equine pornography in the piece? Find out all the answers to these questions and more as we round up a history of the buzz surrounding this infamous scene.
26 Jul, 2019 | By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels
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Reviews
London Theatre Review: Equus
They shoot horses, don’t they? Well, no. Not in Peter Shaffer’s classic thriller. In Equus, the horses are blinded.
16 Jul, 2019 | By Jack Slater
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News / Features / Celebrities / Interviews / New Shows + Transfers
Q&A with Ethan Kai and Robert Fitch from Equus
Following its critically acclaimed run at Theatre Royal Stratford East, Ned Bennett’s stunning revival has made its way back to London following a national tour. Peter Shaffer’s psychological thriller will play at the West End’s Trafalgar Studios for a limited 9-week run and it’s a must see! Secure your tickets to Equus in London now to avoid disappointment.
The Equus West End run has begun and there is still time to get summers hottest tickets. Before this incredible production opened its doors on 6 July, I had the opportunity to chat to a couple of members of this dynamic cast and ask them some questions all about Equus and their experiences with this thrilling play so far. Read below to see what Ethan Kai and Robert Fitch had to say…
8 Jul, 2019 | By Jade Ali
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News / New Shows + Transfers
Stratford East Equus revival transfers to the West End's Trafalgar Studios
Saddle up! Ned Bennett's critically acclaimed, minimalist marvel vision of Peter Shaffer's psychological thriller Equus is set to transfer to London's West End following a five-star run at the Theatre Royal Stratford East earlier this year to overwhelming praise. The sexually-charged, equestrian drama opens on 6 July 2019 at Trafalgar Studios for a strictly limited, 9-week engagement. Tickets for Equus at Trafalgar Studios are now on exclusive priority sale.
21 May, 2019 | By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels
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News / Casting / New Shows + Transfers
Equus casting announced for Theatre Royal Stratford East run
Casting has been announced for the upcoming Ned Bennett production of Equus at the Stratford East. The 1973 ‘equestrian’ play by Peter Shaffer is a critically acclaimed classic that originally ran at the London National Theatre from 1973 and 1975. The latest Equus revival is set to premiere on 15 February 2019.
11 Jan, 2019 | By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels
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