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PROFILE
Daniel Radcliffe
Forse per lui il meglio deve ancora arrivare, dati i consensi che
ha ricevuto il suo debutto in teatro. Ora che la saga di
Harry Potter sta per finire, Daniel Radcliffe può finalmente
dimostrare di essere un attore a tutto tondo. By John Rigg
LANGUAGE LEVEL
BASIC
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Speaker:
Justin Ratcliffe (Standard
British accent)
Opposite page:
Daniel Radcliffe as
Alan Strang in the
play Equus, which
is currently on in
London’s West End.
Radcliffe, who was
born on July 23rd,
1989, is the star
of the Harry Potter
movies (above).
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Harry Potter may lose his glasses, his
clothes and his innocence in a revival
of Peter Shaffer’s 1973 play Equus, but
he has received enthusiastic reviews1 for
his performance as a disturbed teenager.
The play is Daniel Radcliffe’s debut on
the London stage, and it will run until
June 8th at the Gielgud Theatre.
SUPERSTAR
Daniel Radcliffe has earned millions of
pounds from his appearance as Harry
Potter, and has just signed contracts
to appear in the final two films of
the series. This makes his decision to
star in Equus, with no stage training2,
incredibly brave3. The tortured role4
of Alan Strang, a stable boy5 who
blinds6 six horses with a metal spike7,
includes a scene in which he appears
naked8. The play is a detective story in
which psychiatrist Martin Dysart, played
by Richard Griffiths, explores the
boy’s relationship with his girlfriend,
authoritarian father and devout mother,
and tries to understand the reasons
behind the attacks. Daniel succeeds
brilliantly in the part and breaks the
magical spell cast upon him9 by Harry
Potter.
EARLY DAYS
How did Daniel’s acting career begin?
In 1999, at the age of 10, he got the
part of David Copperfield in a BBC
production of Dickens’ famous novel.
Two years later, he appeared in the
film The Tailor10 of Panama with Pierce
Brosnan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Jamie
Lee Curtis suggested Daniel would be
perfect as Harry Potter, but his parents
didn’t take Daniel to audition until they
were approached by the director Chris
Columbus. Daniel remembers: “I was in
the bath, and my dad came running in
and said, ‘Guess who they want to play
Harry Potter!?’ and I started to cry. It
was probably the best moment of my
life.” Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s
Stone11, released in November 2001,
was an incredible success: it earned
€740 million worldwide and was the
fourth most successful film ever made.
heatre info
Trivia
✓ Daniel Radcliffe has two border
terriers named Binka and Nugget.
✓ He tried to read the first
Harry Potter book when he was
eight years old, but was unable
to finish it.
✓ He has never seen the film The
Tailor of Panama.
✓ His favourite Harry Potter book is
number three, Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban.
✓ He is Britain’s richest teenager.
Quotes
Does Daniel believe in magic?
“Absolutely. 100 percent.”
On being a sex symbol:
“Personally I can’t see it, but if
other people can, fine. Cool!”
Teachers: use this article
in class! For special activities, turn to
Speak Up in Class (page 33)
Glossary
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reviews recensioni.
no stage training nessuna esperienza
teatrale.
brave - coraggioso.
tortured role - ruolo
travagliato.
stable boy stalliere.
blinds - acceca.
spike - spuntone.
naked - nudo.
spell cast upon him
- incantesimo
gettato su di lui...
tailor - sarto.
the sorcerer’s
stone - la pietra
filosofale.
Theatre Info
heatre info
Uli Weber
The show begins at 7.30 p.m. every day (except Sundays) at
the Gielgud Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue (nearest underground station: Piccadilly Circus). Tickets cost from £9.50
(€15) to £49.50 (€75) and can be reserved by phone (+44 870
145 1163) or online (www.ticketmaster.co.uk).
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