Equus by Peter Shaffer was originally staged by the Royal National Theatre at the Old Vic in London in 1973. It was directed by John Dexter and starred Alec McCowen as psychiatrist Martin Dysart and Peter Firth as Alan Strang, the young patient. It was subsequently presented on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre with Anthony Hopkins and Peter Firth. The play received a Tony Award for best play in 1975. Shaffer adapted the play for a 1977 film starring Richard Burton and  directed by Sidney Lumet.

Equus was revived in February 2007 in the West End in London, with Richard Griffiths and Daniel Radcliffe. The production attracted a lot of press attention, as Radcliffe and Griffiths both appear in the Harry Potter film franchise.

It was this revival in London that enthused Steve de la Zilwa to stage a similar revival in Colombo. Reading the text again, he realized that the play was still quite fresh, vibrant and full of life. And that in fact no local theatre-goer under the age of forty five years today had seen this production.

In 1978, Ceylon Theatres presented Equus at the Lionel Wendt Theatre in Colombo. It sold out 10 nights in a record run and to great critical acclaim. To date this production could still claim to be the most significant piece of English theatre ever produced on the boards in Sri Lanka.

The production was directed by Christopher Herft. The cast of the play included Christopher Ponniah, Richard de Zoysa, Winston Serasinghe, Theresa de Kretser, Irene Wanigaratne, Roma Tira, Nirmal Hettiaratchi, Suresh Thambipillai and Rohan Ponniah, who nearly thirty years later will be recreating the role of Martin Dysart. It is also interesting to note that in the chorus of horses was Jerome de Silva, Senaka de Silva & Mario Gomez !

For many of those who saw this production of Equus, it remains an extraordinarily powerful theatrical memory.

For more information please e-mail info.lk@britishcouncil.org

When: from 18 to 21, 24, and from 26 to 28 October
Where: British School Auditorium
Time: 1930
Admission: Tickets are available for Rs. 1000, 750 and 500 at the British Council and at the Wrap Factory at 75A Kynsey Road, Colombo 8.. Telephone: 077 3222 205