Horse sense: Daniel Radcliffe in Equus. Photograph: Chris Young/AFP
After two weeks in preview, David Schaffer's Equus, the story of a psychiatrist's attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological fascination with horses, has finally opened at the Gielgud Theatre. And after all the hype, our own Michael Billington was clearly impressed, giving the play four stars and calling it "an exciting spectacle" that proves Radcliffe really can act.
Charles Spencer from the Telegraph agreed, noting the boy's "electrical stage presence". Other newspaper critics, however, were less impressed. David Lister from the Independent, while commending Radcliffe's "compelling" performance, found the stage design, which places two rows of audience above the back of the stage, "simply distracting". In the Times, Benedict Nightingale said that Radcliffe himself was lacking in "the sense of magic and wonder that the part demands".
It is the exposure of the young actor's equipment on stage, however, that has fuelled worldwide speculation, so it comes as no surprise that scores of audience members have already managed to make use of their camera phones while Radcliffe had his clothes off. All in all, the general blogging consensus is that Harry Potter has successfully managed to shake off his child wizard image. It's a view matched by our very own Music website's Kelly Nestruck who, while moonlighting for the Toronto Star, concluded that there's life after Potter.
Indeed, Radcliffe has even been billed a "porn star in the making" and christened Hairy Squatter. Many bloggers who have seen the press photographs cannot hide their delight; they will no doubt be disappointed when they catch wind of all the "he's been Photoshopped" rumours flying around.
In fact, very little blogging commentary strays far from Radcliffe's nether regions. There is some mild concern out there that smoking and simulating sex on stage is something that the Harry Potter star should not be partaking in because of his younger fans. But while some display genuine envy for the horse that Harry Potter rides on stage, Richard Griffith's powerful performance as the boy's psychiatrist has gone entirely unmentioned.
