The Boy Who Blinded Six Horses Still Remains There... Play ‘Equus’ [Weekend Performance Pick]

[Financial News] The year 2026 will be the Year of the Red Horse (Byeong-o). As the year of the horse, symbolizing dynamism and progress, approaches, the most powerful ‘horses’ of the past half-century are galloping through Daehangno. Taking center stage is the play ‘Equus’, which marks its 50th anniversary since its Korean premiere at Yegreen Theater.

The synopsis of ‘Equus’ is simple yet shocking. Written by Peter Shaffer, also known for ‘Amadeus’ and ‘Gift of the Gorgon’, ‘Equus’ is Latin for ‘horse’. Shaffer claimed the play was inspired by a bizarre real-life crime involving a stable boy who blinded 26 horses with a metal spike, though the authenticity remains uncertain. Since he first heard the story from a friend in 1971—27 years before Google was invented—Shaffer himself once remarked, “There was no one to verify this story.”
The play follows 17-year-old Alan Strang, who blinds six horses with a metal spike, and psychiatrist Martin Dysart, who attempts to treat him. However, this is far from a typical crime investigation. As Judge Hester brings Alan to Dysart, the play delves deep into Alan’s psyche, gradually dissecting the inner workings of his mind.
Dysart comes face to face with the primal passion and religious ecstasy Alan feels toward the horses—a divinity he calls ‘Equus’. Trapped by the constraints of social norms and normalcy, Dysart finds himself strangely envious and admiring of Alan, who, despite his madness, desperately yearns for his own god. As Dysart himself says, “You can destroy passion, but you cannot create it.” Treating Alan brings Dysart a profound sense of confusion as he confronts these emotions.
Will Dysart be able to successfully treat Alan amid this turmoil? And what drove the boy to blind six horses? With its passionate exploration of madness and reason, primal instinct and modern societal norms, religion and human desire, the play continues to deliver a powerful shock to audiences even 50 years after its premiere.

When ‘Equus’ first premiered in Korea in 1975, it was a true sensation. Legendary actors, including the late Yoon Seok-hwa, Kang Tae-gi, Song Seung-hwan, Choi Jae-sung, Choi Min-sik, Shin Goo, Park Jeong-ja, Kim Young-min, Nam Myeong-ryeol, Jung Tae-woo, Ryu Deok-hwan, and Jeon Bakchan, all took on the roles of Alan and Dysart, delivering passionate performances.

This season, the stage is once again filled with reliable actors. Kim Si-yoo, who received praise for his stable performance last season, along with Jung Yong-ju, Lee Choong-gon, and Do Eunwoo, take turns portraying Alan, moving between madness and innocence. For the role of Dysart, which demands intense monologues expressing the intellectual’s anguish and emptiness, Du-yee Chang—who has been with ‘Equus’ since 2018—joins Choi Jong-hwan and Han Yoon-chun.
The significance of this 50th anniversary is as great as the number of stars who have graced the stage. Simply put, it means the play has enjoyed unwavering love from audiences for decades. This anniversary production, too, overwhelms the audience with a stage packed with the know-how and energy accumulated over half a century.
One thing to know before seeing the show: the signature of ‘Equus’ is, of course, the horse. Actors don iron masks and embody the horses’ muscles and rough breathing on stage. The movement of the horses, more real than reality, delivers an even more intense energy to the audience.
Due to a smaller stage compared to previous productions, the number of horses has been reduced from seven to six, but their dynamic movements now feel even closer to the audience. The thunderous hoofbeats that fill the compact stage seem to awaken our dormant instincts. ‘Equus’ runs at Yegreen Theater in Daehangno until February 1.

bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter