Photo Credit: Alfred Enoch in "Red", by Johan Persson — Photo Credit: Alfred Enoch in “Red”, by Johan Persson

Alfred Enoch is currently starring in “Red”, a provocative play at the Wyndham’s theatre. It sees him taking on the role of Ken, a studio assistant to Alfred Molina’s Mark Rothko, the abstract expressionist painter.

This critically-acclaimed play is a two-hander that shows off both of the Alfred’s theatrical chops. While you might be familiar with Molina’s stage work, Enoch’s got more than his fair share of shows under his belt. He’s spent time performing in both London and Manchester, at the Royal Exchange, and has appeared in “Coriolanus”, “Antigone” and “Timon of Athens”, then, of course, there’s his work in TV and film.

The world was first introduced to Alfred in the “Harry Potter” series as Dean Thomas, then you may have seen him more recently in the fantastic US drama, “How To Get Away With Murder”. To get to know him a little better, we had a few quick questions for Alfred Enoch – see him for yourself and book your tickets here for “Red”.

Are you an Alfred, Alf or Alfie to your friends and family?

Pretty much always Alfie, with the occassional Alf. My dad pulls out Alfred when I’m in trouble.

You’ve worked in TV, film and theatre – what is about theatre that has you coming back to the stage time after time?

After working in television four weeks in a rehearsal room to hone what you’re doing feels like a real luxury. But the best thing is getting on front of an audience.

What was your reaction when you read the script for Red?

“Please can I get this job!”

Have you ever slipped on the paint on stage?

Yes, I fell flat on my arse! And managed to knock a bucket over in the process. We kept it together though.

What’s something nobody else knows about Alfred Molina?

He’s a consummate bowls and racket ball player. In fact, his knowledge of more obscure sports is very impressive.

Photo Credit: Alfred Molina and Alfred Enoch in "Red" by Johan Persson. — Photo Credit: Alfred Molina and Alfred Enoch in “Red” by Johan Persson.

What kind of energy does the show leave you with at the end of the night – is it draining or is it exhilarating?

It’s exhilarating. It’s a real work out but it leaves you buzzing after. I struggle to fall asleep before 1am on account of all the adrenaline.

There feels like a battle between generations and the history vs the future in Red, Ken’s youth maybe represents the potential undoing of Rothko – do you think that dynamic is present in the acting industry too?

Well I don’t think Fred perceives me as his potential undoing, and rightly so! But, there is an inevitable parallel with the play in terms of being a young actor working closely with someone of his calibre and experience. But it’s not a battle – we’re working together. To borrow one of Rothko’s lines from the play: “It’s not really conflict. More like symbiosis.” And as happens so often, Ken picks up the thread: “They need each other!”

You speak Portuguese and Spanish, would you like to perform in those languages too?

I would absolutely love to. I studied a lot of Spanish Golden Age theatre as part of my degree and fell in love with it. I even ended up directing a play by Lope de Vega (in Spanish) while I was at university. There are some terrific plays that don’t get put on nearly as much as they should – either here or in Spain. And I’m half Brazilian, so of course I’d love to work in Brazil. Hopefully these are things that I’ll get to do over the course of my career.

You lived in the states while you worked on “How To Get Away With Murder” – what did you miss the most about the UK?

The weather! I couldn’t hack the endless sunshine and the lack of seasons.

Book your tickets to see Alfred in “Red” at the Wyndham’s Theatre.

Want more? Getting to Know “The King and I” Star Kelli O’Hara

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Alfred Enoch

Quick Questions for ‘Red’ Star Alfred Enoch