Inflation in South Africa
1. The set of Equus is an extremely powerful tool used to reflect the themes and issues of the play and has become as important as the dialogue and action.
The set is not realistic and is thus, able to effectively contrast between Dysart’s real world and Alan’s abstract world. It is built flexibly with a rotating turntable in order to ensure fast, smooth scene change essential for the unravelling of the story through Alan’s past memories and Dysart’s present diagnosis. The rotating turntable is also used to convey the madness and intensity of Alan’s feeling of desire, worship and ecstasy when he rides the horse. It allows the horseman, with Alan on him, to go at an electrifying speed that is both alarming and enchanting to the audience – leaving them with awe much like the awe Alan feels on the horse.
A major theme in the play is vulnerability. At the end of Act Two Alan and Jill are naked and left exposed and vulnerable – the stage accentuates this because the set has no contemporary aspects like props, scenery etc and it leaves the actors prominent and even more vulnerable to the audience.
The set seems to mirror the audience because the actors never leave the acting space but rather sit in full view of the audience and watch the play with them. This promotes intimacy and intensifies the impact of the play on the audience because they are mirrored by the positioning of the actors. However, this not only reflects the audience but also reflects the theme of ‘watching’. Alan is constantly being watched from all directions, whether it be by his parents, society or of course, Equus. The play is centred on this theme of ‘watching’ because it is what led Alan to blind the six horses.
The set embodies the elements of a Greek theatre with its amphitheatre-like shape. This signifies Dysart’s love of Greek culture and history but also the underlying battle of the Greek Gods. In the therapy room there is a battle
The set is not realistic and is thus, able to effectively contrast between Dysart’s real world and Alan’s abstract world. It is built flexibly with a rotating turntable in order to ensure fast, smooth scene change essential for the unravelling of the story through Alan’s past memories and Dysart’s present diagnosis. The rotating turntable is also used to convey the madness and intensity of Alan’s feeling of desire, worship and ecstasy when he rides the horse. It allows the horseman, with Alan on him, to go at an electrifying speed that is both alarming and enchanting to the audience – leaving them with awe much like the awe Alan feels on the horse.
A major theme in the play is vulnerability. At the end of Act Two Alan and Jill are naked and left exposed and vulnerable – the stage accentuates this because the set has no contemporary aspects like props, scenery etc and it leaves the actors prominent and even more vulnerable to the audience.
The set seems to mirror the audience because the actors never leave the acting space but rather sit in full view of the audience and watch the play with them. This promotes intimacy and intensifies the impact of the play on the audience because they are mirrored by the positioning of the actors. However, this not only reflects the audience but also reflects the theme of ‘watching’. Alan is constantly being watched from all directions, whether it be by his parents, society or of course, Equus. The play is centred on this theme of ‘watching’ because it is what led Alan to blind the six horses.
The set embodies the elements of a Greek theatre with its amphitheatre-like shape. This signifies Dysart’s love of Greek culture and history but also the underlying battle of the Greek Gods. In the therapy room there is a battle