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The London Theatre website has a new feature on Dean Thomas actor Alfred Enoch. They interview the Potter star and reveal that he is in TWO plays at the National Theatre in London; Antigone and Timon Of Athens. Timon of Athens opens today (tickets here,) with Alfie playing Philotus, the synopsis is as follows:
Timon Of Athens is a wealthy friend to the rich and the powerful, a patron of the arts and an ostentatious host. He showers the cities movers and shakers with expensive gifts and unmatchable hospitality. But, happier to splash the cash than actually take responsibility for it, his money disappears.
Though he assures his trusty steward that all will be fine, he quickly finds that his former friends and ex colleagues are happier to leave him in the lurch than lend him a helping hand. After a final, vengeful banquet, Timon Of Athens disappears to a literal and emotional wasteland, nibbling on roots and damning the morally bankrupt city he left behind.
In Antigone (tickets here) Alfie is in the Chorus. A short synopsis of the show: Desperate to gain control over a city ravaged by civil war, Creon refuses to bury the body of Antigone’s rebellious brother. Outraged, she defies his edict. Creon condemns the young woman, his niece, to be buried alive.
Some interview questions may be read below:
What was it like being part of something as huge as the Harry Potter films? Did it take over your life?
No it didn’t really. It was a lot of fun. I had read the books before I got the part so I knew exactly what it was about. I was seen in a National Youth Theatre play that was at the Globe and then went on tour and asked if I would like to audition. Initially they came around lots of schools and they came to my school and asked me to audition and I thought ‘Nahhh, why would they pick me?’ I was very defeatist about it and didn’t audition. So when the second opportunity came round I thought ‘wow, I better take it’. I was very fortunate because it’s not often you get a second chance like that.
On the first film I did 60 days [of filming] which is a lot considering I had one line! When you’re that young you just throw yourself into it and have a good time and don’t really worry about anything, which is quite nice really.
You’re currently appearing in both Antigone and Timon Of Athens. How did that come about?
I have a lot to thank my parents for. My dad was very enterprising and said, when I got the part in Harry Potter, ‘well now you’re going to need an agent’. He got me a terrific agent who has been fantastic and looked after me since I was about 11 years old. I finished the show I did at the Old Red Lion [Happy New] and I was going up for a lot of things and I eventually got offered the National to do Antigone and Timon Of Athens and I thought ‘how exciting would that be?’ Antigone’s got Christopher Eccleston and Jodie Whittaker in it and Simon Russell Beale is in Timon so I was thrilled to bits at the audition, I just thought ‘don’t cock it up now’ [laughs].
What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t an actor?
I think I might be teaching languages. I got an email from my old Head of Spanish, who I became friends with and I still see now and then, and he said ‘just to let you know, we’ve got a temporary vacancy in school for teaching Spanish’ and I looked at it and thought ‘that would be so much fun’! That would be my own little captive audience, the classroom. Maybe that’s why it appeals.
Filed Under: Alfred Enoch |
