EQUUS by Peter Shaffer - Winner of the Tony Award for Best Play from the celebrated creator of Amadeus

Mockingbird Theatre is a proud supporter of Child Wise and No To Homophobia

Mockingbird Theatre Company Members Maggie Chrétien and Scott Middleton feature alongside Jeremy Kewley as Martin Dysart in  the deeply disturbing yet richly provocative work, Equus, by English playwright Peter Shaffer.  Winning the Tony Award for Best Play in 1975  as well as the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award,  it is directed by Mockingbird Theatre Artistic Director Chris Baldock and opens at Brunswick Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre, on Saturday August 3, 2013 at 8pm.

An explosive play that took critics and audiences by storm and became a world-wide sensation upon its release, Equus is Peter Shaffer's exploration of the way modern society has destroyed our ability to feel passion. Alan Strang is a disturbed youth whose dangerous obsession with horses leads him to commit an unspeakable act of violence. As psychiatrist Martin Dysart struggles to understand the motivation for Alan's brutality, he is increasingly drawn into Alan's web and eventually forced to question his own sanity and purpose. Equus is a timeless classic and a cornerstone of contemporary drama that delves into the darkest recesses of human existence.

"Shaffer heard about a crime wherein a 17 year old blinded six horses in a town near Suffolk and therein lies the genesis of Equus." says Director and Company Artistic Director Chris Baldock. "It's a fascinating study into the human psyche. Shaffer creates a fictional account of what might have caused the incident without knowing any of the details of the crime and thus the play because something of a detective story. The child psychiatrist, Dr Martin Dysart, must uncover the cause of the boy's actions but doing so causes him to question his own sense of purpose. Both individuals must grapple with their own demons as they struggle to make sense of lives and behaviours that no longer fit inside the traditional or accepted. It's a provocative psychological drama that will engage the audience from beginning to end."

Chris Baldock is a highly respected director and actor in the Melbourne theatre scene. He directed the acclaimed production of The Laramie Project at Chapel off Chapel which won the 2005 Victorian Green Room Award for Best Independent Production. He revived the production last year to critical acclaim as the inaugural production for his own company, Mockingbird Theatre. He also received critical praise for his productions of Love! Valour! Compassion! for Midsumma and the Australian premiere of Shining City for Hoy Polloy. Chris also recently directed Mockingbird's third offering, the multi award winning American play, How I Learned To Drive, to rave reviews.

Sir Peter Shaffer is an English playwright of many award winning plays. His first work, The Salt Land, was presented on the BBC in 1954. He very quickly followed this with a  double-bill, The Private Ear/The Public Eye, which played at The Globe Theatre in 1962. The National Theatre was established in 1963 and from that time on most of Shaffer's subsequent works would be  performed there. Following the critical success of Equus, Shaffer wrote Amadeus which won the Evening Standard Drama Award and the Theatre Critics Award. As a screenwriter, Shaffer has adapted many for his works for the screen. He received two Academy Award–nominations for adapting his plays Equus and Amadeus for the big screen.

"…without doubt one of the greatest English post-war plays. As a work of art, it is magnificent. Rarely does contemporary drama probe so deep - an electrifying evening of theatre." The Sunday Times

 "...blazes with theatrical life...an enthralling play." The New York Times

 "...Equus is an exciting, unusual theatrical event. Peter Shaffer creates an exciting spectacle." The Guardian

 "...Peter Shaffer is one of the most theatrical of all living playwrights. He is genuinely visual, arguing through his images, creating pictures on stage so powerful that you leave the theatre imprinted with them and only realise later how tendentious they are." The Observer

Not suitable for individuals under 16 years of age. Contains nudity and adult themes.

Cast: Jeremy Kewley; Scott Middleton; Maggie Chretien; Soren Jensen; Amanda McKay; Sally Tatterdson; Elijah Egan; Damien Harrison; Tom Kay; Tilly Legge; Lauren O'Callaghan; Dylan Watson.