Performance dates
8 May - 4 July 2026
Run time: TBC
Includes interval
Top Rated Show
Reviewers highly rate this show
149 reviews
What prompts a 17-year-old boy to blind six horses? This is the challenge presented to psychiatrist Martin Dysart as he delves into the psyche of his young patient Alan Strang to search for the answers and at the same time questioning whether the cure is more dangerous than the crime.
Peter Shaffer‘s brilliantly intriguing award-winning play EQUUS is now considered a modern masterpiece.
Directed by Lindsay Posner, EQUUS runs at Menier Chocolate Factory from 8 May to 4 July 2026.
Presented in a co-production with Theatre Royal Bath
Head over to the Menier for Equus, Peter Shaffer’s undeniably entertaining and powerful story—inspired by a real-life case—about a boy who deliberately blinds the horses he has been lovingly caring for. Shaffer’s great trick is to turn the tale into a situation that sets up a dramatic conflict between the boy, a teenager of wild passions, and the psychiatrist employed to assess and treat him, a lonely man whose life has dried up and lost all meaning. Is a life without belief inevitably a barren one? Who should we pity or envy the most? The boy or the man charged with curing him. The play can easily tip into melodrama, but get it right and it’s completely gripping.
The great thing about Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband (Lyric Hammersmith) is that it always feels as if it has something to say about our political class and the way they behave. Previous productions have come with echoes of contemporary corruption scandals, including the MP’s expenses scandal. Nicholai La Barrie’s revival, which comes with a top-notch cast of colour, should make Wilde’s play feel very current as it tells the story of Sir Robert Chiltern, a man of unimpeachable reputation who is found to have committed a major indiscretion in his youth. Who is best placed to judge whether that is complete hypocrisy or a crime in need of forgiveness?
11 May, 2026 | By Lyn Gardner
The winners of the 2020 Offies have been announced.
The biggest winner of the Off-West End Awards this year proved to be Equus, which took home a total of three Offies including the award for Best Director (Ned Bennett) and Best Production. Gemma Barnett also notably took home the award for Best Female Performance in a Play for her one-woman monologue show A Hundred Words for Snow at Trafalgar Studios. Meanwhile, Best New Play was awarded to the Theatre503 production of Ross Willis' Wolfie whilst Best Male Performance in a Play went to Cary Crankson for his performance in Country Music at the Omnibus Theatre.
As far as the musical categories are concerned, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the Union Theatre and Amour at the Charing Cross Theatre each picked up two prizes with the latter taking home Best New Musical in particular.
Read the list of winners in full below.
9 Mar, 2020 | By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels
It’s the start of a new season and time to head back to school, but with all the new starts that September is bringing, we still must wave goodbye to some wonderful West End shows! Family favourites like Where is Peter Rabbit? and Peter Pan will be closing their doors to make way for the new. The theatre world is in constant change and whilst that’s a big part of its culture, we still get sad to see shows leave. Read below to see what shows are closing in September and be sure to hurry and get your tickets to your favourites and your must-sees before it’s too late.
1 Sep, 2019 | By Jade Ali
The shortlist for this year's Knight of Illumination Awards has officially been announced. Having first started in 2007 and having been conceived by lighting designers Durham and Jennie Marenghi in partnership with Claypaky, the KOI has quickly become the leading showcase for both stage lighting and video design. It is now also the most credible UK awards ceremony for projection, lighting, and digital design for the entertainment industry thanks in large part to its three panels of expert judges who cooperate with such renowned organisations as the STLD (The Society of Television Lighting and Design) and the ALD (The Association of Lighting Designers).
See the list of nominees for the 2019 Knight of Illumination Awards below.
7 Aug, 2019 | By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels
To perform fully nude on stage takes a lot of... well... balls. But that hasn't stopped Ethan Kai from baring it all in Equus' most notorious scene. While West End audiences and/or prudes may be 'shocked' by the near-ten minutes of 'glory,' Kai insists "the nude scene is shocking but necessary." But why does the scene continue to be so controversial? Do audiences let it distract them from the play itself? And is there really equine pornography in the piece? Find out all the answers to these questions and more as we round up a history of the buzz surrounding this infamous scene.
26 Jul, 2019 | By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels
They shoot horses, don’t they? Well, no. Not in Peter Shaffer’s classic thriller. In Equus, the horses are blinded.
16 Jul, 2019 | By Jack Slater
Following its critically acclaimed run at Theatre Royal Stratford East, Ned Bennett’s stunning revival has made its way back to London following a national tour. Peter Shaffer’s psychological thriller will play at the West End’s Trafalgar Studios for a limited 9-week run and it’s a must see! Secure your tickets to Equus in London now to avoid disappointment.
The Equus West End run has begun and there is still time to get summers hottest tickets. Before this incredible production opened its doors on 6 July, I had the opportunity to chat to a couple of members of this dynamic cast and ask them some questions all about Equus and their experiences with this thrilling play so far. Read below to see what Ethan Kai and Robert Fitch had to say…
8 Jul, 2019 | By Jade Ali
Saddle up! Ned Bennett's critically acclaimed, minimalist marvel vision of Peter Shaffer's psychological thriller Equus is set to transfer to London's West End following a five-star run at the Theatre Royal Stratford East earlier this year to overwhelming praise. The sexually-charged, equestrian drama opens on 6 July 2019 at Trafalgar Studios for a strictly limited, 9-week engagement. Tickets for Equus at Trafalgar Studios are now on exclusive priority sale.
21 May, 2019 | By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels
Casting has been announced for the upcoming Ned Bennett production of Equus at the Stratford East. The 1973 ‘equestrian’ play by Peter Shaffer is a critically acclaimed classic that originally ran at the London National Theatre from 1973 and 1975. The latest Equus revival is set to premiere on 15 February 2019.
11 Jan, 2019 | By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels