In an interview with
Variety,
Equus producer David Pugh explains why revealing publicity photos of Dan Radcliffe were shot.
Quote:
I've actually done it to kill off the charge of voyeurism. If the production were starring an unknown, I would not have done those photos. But after the casting was announced, I realized I had to show that Daniel was a young man, not the 12- or 13-year-old boy whose image was appearing on all the Web sites causing all that unpleasant speculation.
Pugh originally thought of Dan for the lead role in
Eqqus after seeing him in
The Play What I Wrote.
Quote:
He had incredible presence and was very professional. I'd been in discussion with Peter Shaffer (playwright) for six years, and he suggested a reading.
Director Thea Sharrock convinced playwright Peter Shaffer to rewrite some scenes from the 70s play to appeal to today’s audiences.
Quote:
There are a few chunks that have changed and a lot of tweaks. I needed to remove a few barriers for contemporary audiences.
Is Sharrock concerned about Dan’s fame overshadowing the play itself?
Quote:
When I was approached to direct it, I said if Daniel doesn't do it for me, we should look elsewhere. But I've had a very positive response from him from our first meeting. I'd only be worried about all that if I didn't think he could do it.
Of course, there are hoards of people at the stage door trying to get in, which makes things difficult. We have to be careful with security. And there are some people coming just to see Harry Potter naked onstage and that's not useful. I just hope they realize that not only is the play not about nakedness, but that he really can act.
Equus opens officially tomorrow night and will run for 16 weeks.
'Equus' producer “wanted to show Daniel was a young man” 
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