Alfred Enoch, who played Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter films was recently in a play called The Seagull at the Oxford Playhouse.  The play ran from .  There is also a new interview with the star where he briefly mentions the Potter series, the play and why he is getting a degree.

“It was the most regular instalment in my life and one that I was very comfortable with because in that time you get to know everyone,” Alfie, now 22, says. “It was an amazing experience and a very fortuitous one.” Fortuitous? Why? “Well, because I didn’t go to the auditions. I remember thinking ‘why would they want me in their multi-million-pound movie?’ “But I was on The Globe youth tour for a season and someone saw me in that, asked me to audition, and I got the part.” he beams.

“So if I’ve learned anything from the experience, it’s that it IS best to go for auditions.”

So when Alfie heard Oxford University students were putting on The Seagull at The Playhouse he jumped at the chance. And taking on the part of Trigorin in the Chekhov play during his final year hasn’t fazed Alfie. “I’m looking forward to bringing the character to life,” he tells me. “It’s such a challenge because theatre needs to be a two-way street. It shouldn’t just be a passive experience for the audience, so I want to challenge them, not bludgeon them with information.”

And yet people still ask Alfie why he’s bothering with a degree. “I don’t see why not. It seemed natural to carry on with my education and I have really enjoyed it, even if at times it’s been challenging to fit it in with all the filming. It was more about finding the right balance and about time management than anything else.”

So what next? More acting? “I do feel the need,” he grins. “I just love going out on stage. I feel immediately comfortable out there. And this is what I want to do. So what could be more useful than taking on the enormous challenge of playing Trigorin in The Seagull? It will be an invaluable experience.”

Some photos of Alfie in the play may be viewed below. (click to view them larger)

It’s a little late to be posting this, but I figured everyone would be interested anyway.