Equus

Written by Peter Shaffer
Directed by Anne Somes
Presented by Free-Rain Theatre

My desire might be to make this boy an ardent husband – a caring citizen – a worshipper of abstract and unifying God. My achievement, however, is more likely to make a ghost!

Equus by Peter Shaffer is an electric play about passion and worship. Equus is very confronting and sets out to shock, excite and captivate its audience.

It is an exploration of the human condition with its confusions, paradoxes and unanswerable questions, blending the naturalistic with the surreal.

The play exposes the inner most secrets of Alan Strang and Martin Dysart, the psychiatrist who is under an obligation to treat the terrified boy who has committed a crime against 6 horses. The play, though deeply erotic, is also one of tragic conflict.

Alan is a lonely young man who is isolated from others of his own age. His private obsessions with sexual and religious images are converted by his loneliness into a fantasy of worship and passion for Equus.

Dysart revels in Alan’s imagination, his own monologues about his dreams and imaginings are strongly defined. In his reality, he is left with the tedium of everyday life and an unsatisfying marriage.

In the news

Callback, Videos & EOIs for Free-Rain's Season 2025 at ACT Hub

Callbacks for Beauty Queen and Lend Me a Tenor will be held on Saturday 18th January at Cook. New auditionees are asked to send an EOI. For Equus, new auditionees are asked to send an EOI.

Details

When: 12 November – 22 November 2025
Where:

Performances

Ticket prices

First in best dressed: $30
Under 30yo: $35
Concession: $40
Adult: $45