Alfred Enoch Archives - North West End UK

The Cherry Orchard – Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon

22Jul

By Paul WilcoxNo Comments

West Midlands

The Cherry Orchard – Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon

There is a temptation with The Cherry Orchard to treat it as a museum piece: a wistful farewell to a vanished aristocratic world wrapped in reverential melancholy. Laura Wade’s ambitious new version, directed by Tamara Harvey for the Royal Shakespeare Company, refuses to preserve Chekhov in aspic. It brings freshness and immediacy to one of theatre’s greatest farewell plays, though its determination to find contemporary clarity occasionally comes at the expense of some of the original’s quieter poetry and ambiguity. Written specifically for Harvey, the Swan Theatre and this ensemble, Wade’s adaptation is less concerned with reproducing Chekhov’s exact cadences than capturing the emotional and political forces beneath them. Purists may notice the freer language and sharper rhythms, but t...

The Picture of Dorian Gray – The Barn Theatre

16Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Picture of Dorian Gray – The Barn Theatre

Oscar Wilde’s intoxicating Faustian tale of beauty, love and mortality is given a fresh and modern day treatment in Henry Filloux-Bennett’s adroit script. There have been many versions of Wilde’s dark morality tale and this particular digital adaptation using both video and film techniques alongside conventional theatre firmly places it in the world of social media and the power of the influencer where self- image and self- promotion rule the day. Wilde’s basic question is how far would a person go to achieve success and maintain personal youth, beauty and fame? As Wilde quoted “behind every exquisite thing that existed there was something tragic” and in every sense of the word the play mirrors his exact assumption. We are in dark unforgiving territory and Bennett’s clever script ...

1Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Red – The Shows Must Go On

A pretentious artist and his naïve assistant work away in a 1950’s New York studio. John Logan’s Tony award winning piece may not sound like the most exciting subject, but don’t let that deter you. It’s a deep-dive into the creative mind with thrilling performances. The play spans two whole years of an intense working relationship. Mark Rothko (Alfred Molina) is a celebrated artist who has been commissioned to create art for display at the new Four Seasons restaurant. He is assisted by “over-eager under-graduate" Ken (Alfred Enoch). Questioning opinions and confronting each other's weaknesses makes for an uneasy partnership but a riveting play. Enoch is charming as the assistant. The quirkiness of his movement and emotional openness are played expertly by someone in his Wes...

3Nov

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

What A Carve Up! – Barn Theatre

There’s nothing the public loves more than a conspiracy. “True-crime” is becoming ever more popular. Podcasts and documentaries alike feed the audience’s appetite for a scandal. A showcase of evidence with an unravelling case and the viewer thinks that they’re more informed than the judge. Barn Theatre’s production satisfies this appetite with a helping of contemporary British satire. Six members of the influential Winshaw family are found butchered in their mansion. There is one clear suspect; the writer who is about to publish a tell-all account of their corruption. The writer’s son (Alfred Enoch) takes us through the case and exposes the coincidences and revelations that he has found. Enoch is the perfect narrator; instantly captivating and convincing. He guides us through the twi...