Daniel Radcliffe Previews Equus: A Treat or Naughty Surprise
This weekend at the Gielgud Theatre in London, England, Daniel Radcliffe, best known for playing Harry Potter, stripped off as the psychologically and sexually confused Alan Strang in Equus.
Review of the play describes an "intense and powerful emotional experience" for one critic. While another review says that everyone planning on seeing this revival of the 1970 play is "in for a whirlwind ride of laughs and arduous moments…."
The Daily Mail described Radcliffe’s performance specifically as "a revelation."
The Sun wrote, "… this play could be remembered for launching Radcliffe as one of Britain’s great actors."
The New York Daily News reviewed: "The actor never once looks as if he wished he’d packed his cloak of invisibility. He was nonchalant about his nakedness."
Radcliffe’s nonchalance about the nudity is much to the dismay of Warner Bros., the studio that will release the fifth Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," this summer. The studio sees a conflict of images: the actor who portrays the polite and presumably sexually innocent Harry Potter is now romping fully naked onstage with a naked young woman, and blinding horses only a few months before the Harry Potter character has his first screen kiss. The difference is practically laughable.
With two books yet transformed to movies, maybe Harry can hope for some Radcliffe action in episodes to come.
In the meantime, previews for Equus will continue until its official debut on Feb. 27.
Tags: Daniel Radcliffe, Equus, Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe naked