DANIEL RADCLIFFE - GRIFFITHS ABSENT FROM EQUUS' WEEKEND PERFORMANCES

DANIEL RADCLIFFE's starring role in hit play EQUUS was marred on Saturday (03MAR07), when his co-star RICHARD GRIFFITHS failed to appear for either the matinee or evening performance. Griffiths, 59, was absent from the provocative PETER SHAFFER-written show at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End, leaving understudy COLIN HAIGH to take over his role as the psychiatrist. However, audience members were still left fuming after Haigh appeared not to have learned his lines, relying on a notebook for his script for the entire length of the play. A theatre-goer says, "It's a scandalous way to treat people who've spent a lot of money to go to a West End theatre."