Daniel Radcliffe during the staging of the play Equus in London on Tuesday. (AP)

London, Feb. 28 (Reuters): Daniel Radcliffe shook off the mantle of Harry Potter today to win rave reviews for his stage portrayal of a tortured teenager in the gruelling psychological thriller Equus.

“No flash in the magic pan,” said The Guardian after the London premiere of the play which saw the 17-year-old star of the boy wizard movies come of age on the stage. Radcliffe won praise for his performance but critics argued that Peter Shaffer’s play, first performed in 1973, had not stood the test of time.

Fellow actors like Christian Slater and Richard E.Grant hailed Radcliffe on the first night for taking on such a testing role and the critics agreed. With much media hype over Radcliffe’s iconic nude scene in the play, advance sales had already topped £2 million, making the play virtually critic-proof.

And London’s staid Gielgud Theatre was besieged every night at previews by adoring teenage fans of Radcliffe. “Brilliant Radcliffe throws off Harry Potter’s cloak,” The Daily Telegraph said.“He is a thrilling stage actor.”