"Potter" Receives Standing Ovations

"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe received a standing ovation at the end of his West End stage debut in Equus. Radcliffe plays troubled stableboy Alan Strang, who has an erotic relationship with his horses.

Actor Christian Slater, Bob Geldof and TV presenter Graham Norton were among those who watched the 17-year-old actor at the Gielgud Theatre, BBC reports.

Slater said: "The work that Daniel did on stage was incredible, extraordinary. I take my hat off to him completely."

He added: "He became Alan Strang. I never thought for one second I was looking at Daniel Radcliffe - I was watching Alan Strang.

"I'm remarkably impressed. I think he was brave, adventurous and courageous, he's a phenomenon and I would certainly love to work with him."

Newspaper reviews of the play have generally been positive and Michael Billington wrote in The Guardian: "The revelation of this revival is that Daniel Radcliffe really can act, proving that his screen appearances as JK Rowling's boy-hero are no flash in the magic pan."

Radcliffe's nude scene in the play has cause quite a bit of controversy, but as TV presenter Norton said: "Why do people keep asking about him being naked? I'm a gay man and I'm not mentioning it. It's a play - get over it, ladies."