Equus

It's seven am. I should be getting ready but because I was too sleepy and too full of the sharp experience to write last night, I must write now.
Last night, B and I went to see Equus by Sir Peter Shaffer at His Majesty's in Perth. I knew nothing of the play, yet was super excited to see William McInnes live on stage.
When the actor playing Nugget the horse was the first image on the stage, writhing and clomping, knew B would hate the whole thing. And he did.
But god I loved it.
It's a confronting play, and in some ways reminded me of elements of Edward Albee's the Goat, or who is Sylvia...
The juxtaposition of the 'normal' and the 'wrong' or 'abnormal'....
When the psychiatrist realises that yes, this boy (played by the guy from the Catterpillar Wish film) is disturbed etc...and says "Oh I'll fix him..." and banish him forever into the normal world, the concrete highways slicing through the guts of concrete cities in a world of television and neutered passions... yes, the boy's passions were extreme and of course I don't condone fucking horses, but the sentiment is so strong.
We grow up and we leave that primal passion behind never to regain it.
I haven't thought much about the religious and sacrificial aspects of the play, I was too consumed by this aspect, but I loved the way ancient Greek mythology was woven throughout, as Dysart (the psychiatrist) rails against his own, staid, academic existence.

There will be more, I just had to get that out.

and actually, as I was sitting there, watching the profane love on stage, a line from Brian Patten wafted through my head, and I realised (perhaps I've grown up?) that I don't agree with it anymore (which does not mean I love the poem any less!)

"And if he is unlucky, he will learn how to love
and give everything away
And how he will end up with nothing.."

And McInnes was wonderful in the play. A slight hiccup in the first scene, but other than that his smiling English accent was flawless. I only wish the psychiatrist had got naked in the play too (ok, not really)...