We were glad to read yesterday that Daniel Radcliffe's turn in the new production of Equus didn't get a kicking.
We always thought the only good thing about Harry Potter was that the speccy little git stops kids shooting and stabbing each other for one night a year because they're all too busy queuing outside Waterstones in their pajamas. But after reading a few interviews with the kid he actually comes across as quite a nice bloke, so it's heartening to see all the critics ganging up to declare the play a success. Even ones with reservations, like Charles Spencer, have nothing but good things to say:
Daniel Radcliffe brilliantly succeeds in throwing off the mantle of Harry Potter, announcing himself as a thrilling stage actor of unexpected range and depth. Those of us who have watched the Potter films with our families have always liked Radcliffe, who has a rare natural charm about him, and he has improved greatly as an actor as the series has progressed. Despite minimal previous theatrical experience Radcliffe here displays a dramatic power and an electrifying stage presence that marks a tremendous leap forward.
Doesn't get better than that does it? He even makes a comment on Radcliffe being 'diminutive but perfectly formed' which is as close to a knob gag as you're gonna get in the Telegraph. His 'unexpected range and depth' set one up nicely too. Shame.
Spencer also makes what we're sure is a safe bet:
I have a hunch that this play is going to attract a very large audience of devoted teenage girls.
At this point we'd probably have inserted a line like 'teenage girls love the cock' and tagged any nearby photographs as 'wizard nipples' just to inflate the page views. Thankfully the Telegraph is more highbrow than we are.
Eqqus continues at the Gielgud until June.
