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

Harry Potter may lose his glasses, his Brosnan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Jamie clothes and his innocence in a revival Lee Curtis suggested Daniel would be of Peter Shaffer’s 1973 play Equus, but perfect as Harry Potter, but his parents easy listening he has received enthusiastic reviews1 for didn’t take Daniel to audition until they his performance as a disturbed teenager. were approached by the director Chris LANGUAGE LEVEL BASIC The play is Daniel Radcliffe’s debut on Columbus. Daniel remembers: “I was in the London stage, and it will run until the bath, and my dad came running in Track June 8th at the Gielgud Theatre. and said, ‘Guess who they want to play 1 Harry Potter!?’ and I started to cry. It SUPERSTAR was probably the best moment of my Daniel Radcliffe has earned millions of life.” Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Speaker: 11 Justin Ratcliffe (Standard pounds from his appearance as Harry Stone , released in November 2001, British accent) Potter, and has just signed contracts was an incredible success: it earned to appear in the final two films of €740 million worldwide and was the the series. This makes his decision to fourth most successful film ever made. star in Equus, with no stage training2, incredibly brave3. The tortured role4 heatre info of Alan Strang, a stable boy5 who Trivia blinds6 six horses with a metal spike7, ✓ Daniel Radcliffe has two border includes a scene in which he appears terriers named Binka and Nugget. naked8. The play is a detective story in ✓ He tried to read the fi rst which psychiatrist Martin Dysart, played Harry Potter book when he was by Richard Griffiths, explores the eight years old, but was unable boy’s relationship with his girlfriend, to fi nish it. authoritarian father and devout mother, ✓ He has never seen the fi lm The and tries to understand the reasons Tailor of Panama. behind the attacks. Daniel succeeds ✓ His favourite Harry Potter book is brilliantly in the part and breaks the number three, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. magical spell cast upon him9 by Harry Opposite page: ✓ He is Britain’s richest teenager. Daniel Radcliffe as Potter. Alan Strang in the play Equus, which EARLY DAYS Quotes is currently on in London’s West End. How did Daniel’s acting career begin? Does Daniel believe in magic? Radcliffe, who was In 1999, at the age of 10, he got the “Absolutely. 100 percent.” born on July 23rd, 1989, is the star part of David Copperfield in a BBC On being a sex symbol: of the Harry Potter production of Dickens’ famous novel. “Personally I can’t see it, but if movies (above). Two years later, he appeared in the other people can, fi ne. Cool!” film The Tailor10 of Panama with Pierce

6 six Teachers: use this article in class! For special activities, turn to Speak Up in Class (page 33) Glossary

1 reviews - recensioni. 2 no stage training - nessuna esperienza teatrale. 3 brave - coraggioso. 4 tortured role - ruolo travagliato. 5 stable boy - stalliere. 6 blinds - acceca. 7 spike - spuntone. 8 naked - nudo. 9 spell cast upon him - incantesimo gettato su di lui... 10 tailor - sarto. 11 the sorcerer’s stone - la pietra filosofale.

Theatre Info heatre info The show begins at 7.30 p.m. every day (except Sundays) at the Gielgud Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue (nearest under- ground station: Piccadilly Circus). Tickets cost from £9.50 (€15) to £49.50 (€75) and can be reserved by phone (+44 870 Uli Weber 145 1163) or online (www.ticketmaster.co.uk).

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