English Touring Theatre Announces Full Tour Dates For EQUUS

English Touring Theatre today announces full tour dates for Ned Bennett's bold new production of Peter Shaffer's critically-acclaimed classic, psychological thriller Equus in a co-production with Theatre Royal Stratford East. The production opens at Theatre Royal Stratford East on 21 February, with previews from 15 February and runs until 23 March. Following this it tours to Cambridge Arts Theatre, Theatre Royal Bath, Bristol Old Vic, The Lowry, Northern Stage and Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.

Inspired by a true story, Peter Shaffer's gripping psychological thriller, Equus, explores the complex relationships between devotion, myth and sexuality.

When teenager Alan Strang's pathological fascination leads him to blind six horses in a Hampshire stable, psychiatrist Dr. Martin Dysart is tasked with uncovering the motive behind the boy's violent act. As Dysart delves into Alan's world of twisted spirituality, passion and sexuality, he begins to question his own sanity and motivations in a world driven by consumerism.

Sir Peter Shaffer's (1926 - 2016) plays include The Salt Land, The Prodigal Father, Balance of Terror, Five Finger Exercise (Evening Standard Drama Award), The Private Ear, The Public Eye, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Black Comedy, White Lies, The Battle of Shrivings, Yonadab, The Gift of the Gorgon, Lettice and Lovage and Amadeus (Evening Standard Drama Award and Tony Award for Best Play). His plays adapted for film include Five Finger Exercise, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Equus and Amadeus (Academy Award for Best Picture), for television The Salt Land and Balance of Terror, and for radio The Prodigal Father and Whom Do I Have the Honour of Addressing?. In 1994, Shaffer was Visiting Professor of Contemporary Drama at St. Catherine's College, Oxford. He was awarded the CBE in 1987 and was knighted in 2001.

Ned Bennett directs Equus. He is an award-winning theatre director, who trained at the Royal Court, the National Theatre and LAMDA. His work includes the Evening Standard Award-winning An Octoroon, which opened at the Orange Tree Theatre in Spring 2017 and transferred to the Dorfman in this year, and Buggy Baby which opened at the Yard Theatre in March of this year. He directed the Bruntwood Prize-winning Yen at the Manchester Royal Exchange which transferred to the Royal Court in 2016, and Pomona which was commissioned by the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and transferred to the Orange Tree, and then to the National Theatre. Pomona and Yen won Bennett the UKT Best Director award 2015. Pomona won four Off-West End awards: Best Director, Best Production, Best New Play and Best Lighting Design.

Tour Dates

Theatre Royal Stratford East

15 February - 23 March 2019

Press night: Thursday 21 February, 7pm

Box Office: 020 8534 0310 / www.stratfordeast.com

Cambridge Arts Theatre

26 - 30 March 2019

Box Office: 01223 503333 / www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

Theatre Royal Bath

2 - 6 April 2019

Box Office: 01225 448844 / www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Bristol Old Vic

16 - 20 April 2019

Box Office: 0117 987 7877 / www.bristololdvic.org.uk

The Lowry

23 - 27 April 2019

Box Office: 0843 208 6000 / www.thelowry.com

Northern Stage

30 April - 4 May 2019

Box Office: 0191 230 5151 / www.northernstage.co.uk

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

7 - 11 May 2019

Box Office: 01483 440000 / www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

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