Equus

Based on true events which occurred in the UK, Equus is a play written by Peter Shaffer in 1973 that tells the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a boy who has a pathological fascination with horses. The boy, Alan Strang, a hardworking stable boy with a passionate love of horses, suddenly blinds six with a metal pike, shocking everyone in his small town. Child psychiatrist Dr Martin Dysart becomes interested in the case, refusing to give up on Strang at the cost of his own internal struggles along the way. Staged to international acclaim in the 1970s on both sides of the Atlantic, Equus is a firebrand of a play that has over the years accumulated much praise and success. This month, the graduate students of Sunway University College’s Performance & Media Department will present their staging of the play. The opportunity will allow these students to showcase what they’ve learnt over the two-year duration of their course. Putting a new spin to the play's original take on Dysart as the protagonist, director and lecturer Melissa Teoh plans to portray the story through the Strang's point of view, not just to take advantage of the young student cast but also to allow for a more contemporary take on the story. The production will also feature a combination of naturalised and stylised theatrical modes to describe Strang's inner thoughts, alongside live music performances. Experience a cerebral encounter with one of modern theatre’s best known plays and welcome a new breed of Malaysian stage talents.

Text Claudia Low