Theatre and Dance Previews

With actor father Keith, music star sister Lily and film producer mother Alison Owen (Shaun of the Dead), it may have been inevitable that Alfie Allen would pursue a career in the spotlight.

He is undoubtedly the latest rising star of the Allen family, having appeared alongside Keira Knightley in the blockbuster film Atonement and who can also be seen at the moment on the big screen in The Other Boleyn Girl.

Alongside that, he has just turned his attention to the stage and can currently be seen in his first major role, alongside Simon Callow in Peter Shaffer’s award winning play Equus, where he plays troubled teen Alan Strang, the role which also brought Daniel Radcliffe critical acclaim in the West End last year.

But Alfie first came to public attention when his sister wrote a song about him - "Derek". OK, it's "Alfie", where the lyrics included the lines:

Ooooo deary me
My little brother's in his bedroom smoking weed
I tell him he should get up cos it's nearly half past three
He can't be bothered cos he's high on THC
I ask him very nicely if he'd like a cup of tea
I can't even see him cos the room is so smoky

And since then, his various expulsions from school in a turbulent early life have been well-documented. So, what’s Alfie really all about? Well, as it turns out, he seems to be a rather thoughtful young actor who is thoroughly enjoying his new role on the stage. I spoke to him during the Equus tour where he told me more.

How would you describe Equus?

Alfie: It’s a play about a boy’s love for horses and the problems that arise during it – and that’s it in a nutshell, a really short way of putting it. It kind of questions what is normality and who’s got the right to say what is sane and what is insane and why is this boy’s passion for horses so wrong. That’s kind of what Simon Callow’s part, Martin Dysart does. He questions it and gets pulled into it. He’s supposed to be analysing this boy’s behaviour but starts admiring it.

So Alan Strang, your character, has got a kind of condition, and Simon Callow’s role is to look at it and while he’s looking at it, he begins to question whether what Alan is doing is actually normal and everybody else is wrong?

Alfie: That’s completely what it’s a about, yes.

Alfie Allen in Equus

This is a subject that’s always interested me – who has got the right to say what’s normal or not?

Alfie: Completely! That’s what Peter (Shaffer – the playwright) said to me when I had a meeting with him. He said that what made him write the play was that he started thinking about things like, why do some men like blonde girls, what makes us like these things, what makes us who we are? It’s just a very interesting play that raises a lot of issues.

Alan Strang is described as a horse-crazed anguished creative, yet disturbed, teen. Is that how you’d describe him?

Alfie: Yes. In the play there’s a couple of lines where the mother says he’s a very gentle sensitive young boy, which he is, yet he still does these terrible, terrible crimes, which is what it’s kind of all about really.

And he’s under a psychiatrist, but the play is questioning what’s normal and what’s not, so in a sense, is the play having a pop at psychiatry as a profession?

Alfie: Maybe it was when it was written in 1973, but I think that now, the methods of psychiatry have changed so much that I don’t think it’s having a pop at psychiatry, I think it’s almost just having a pop at authority really. I say that, but it’s so broad really, and that’s why I think people should just come and see it because everyone will have their own opinion of it. It really covers so many issues. It’s a very interesting play and I think whoever comes to see it, whatever age they are, or sex they are, they can bring something different away from it.

It’s well known that Daniel Radcliffe played this part in the West End and there was a big hoo hah about him being naked. Obviously you are doing that too – how do you prepare for something like that?

Alfie: You just do it really. I went to the gym a lot to keep myself in shape, not really to make myself look good but to keep healthy because it’s such a demanding part. But in terms of the nudity, funnily enough, it was harder doing it in the rehearsal rooms than on the stage for the first time. Because when you’re doing it in front of 900 people you don’t know, it’s easier than doing it in front of 20 people that you do know. But the first time you do it, you just do it.

You’ve done quite a few films recently but this is your first stage role, was that daunting?

Alfie: It was at first but I’ve learnt so much going along. I thought theatre would be a little but more difficult, but to be honest I don’t think you can even compare the two, I think they’re so different. Obviously in theatre you work chronologically so you kind of know where your emotions are supposed to be and you’re always on top of things, and as an actor you always know what’s coming next.

I haven’t played a huge role like this in TV and film but I think I can basically take what I’ve learned in doing theatre and apply it to TV and film. In those, I could be doing my most important scene on the first day of filming and then go back to the beginning the next day, so you need to know where your emotions are.

Theatre seemed more difficult at first, but once I got into it, you kind of go into autopilot on the stage, and always know where you are supposed to be.

As you say, it’s a very demanding role. Have you found it quite easy to relate to the character?

Alfie: Yes, but I think any actor of my age would find something in this play to relate to. I think that’s how any actor would make their performance convincing, by bringing an element of themselves into the character.

You can say to actors that you’ve got to be the character and really get into it but you have to make it realistic by bringing an element of yourself into it.

I saw a psychiatrist when I was younger because I had ADHD and I had some problems with authority, so I guess I can kind of relate to that in a way. I know what it’s liked to be probed and to be asked questions where people are looking for a certain answer, and are trying to pull something out of your answer. So, in terms of that I knew what it was like to see a psychiatrist, but in terms of the love for horses it was kind of hard to relate to.

During rehearsals I went to a stable up in Wimbledon, and I got to groom horses – and there’s a very important part in the play where I have to groom a horse – and I definitely saw the sensual side of it. It was strange being up close and personal to horses like that but I could kind of see what Peter was thinking when he wrote the play, and about why Alan was like this. I could see where his love for horses came from.

I read a quote from you that said you were born angry! Do say if you didn’t say it, but it’s been well-documented that you’ve been expelled from various schools so are you an anguished creative too?

Alfie: Well, I’m just like any person really, if you are pushed too far you can crack, and get angry but I don’t think I said I was born angry!

Alfie Allen in Equus

It’s also well-known that you come from a family of performers, so was it inevitable that you would act? Were you encouraged or discouraged from performing?

Alfie: Neither, I always wanted to do it. Obviously I saw dad, but I didn’t see him in a film or something and say ‘oh wow that’s what dad does, I want to do that’. It was more seeing him with his friends and with other people and seeing how he made people laugh and suddenly just create a character out of thin air. I think that’s what made me want to be an actor.

It took me a while to realise that’s what dad does for a living, but even at school I was a bit of a class clown, and did impersonations of people and was good at drama – I did GCSE. I always knew I wanted to be an actor, it wasn’t like mum or dad encouraged or discouraged me. To be honest my dad told me when I started acting that 95 per cent of it was about rejection and I soon discovered that by going to auditions and not getting jobs for about three or four years, that was kind of my drama school really. I was going to auditions and being turned away the whole time, but then it started to go well for me.

Harry Enfield was also a kind of step-father to you. Did he have an influence on you do you think?

Alfie: Probably yes. He was a very, very nice person and a very funny guy. Me and my friend went out to dinner with him recently and my friend said he can see a lot of his humour in me so he must have had an influence in some way. As a child I think that any kind of male living in the house would have an influence on you.

The media have put you and your sister in a sort of new cool Britannia set of young up and coming stars – how do you feel about that? Do you think you are?!

Alfie: Well – if people want to call me that great! [laughs] But I don’t really pay attention to all that to be honest, I just get on with the job that I’m doing. I just live in the present I guess and don’t really read the papers.

Obviously you do get press attention – how do you deal with that?

Alfie: I just ignore it! Some friends call me up now and again and say ‘have you seen what they read about you in the paper’ and I say ‘no I didn’t see it and I don’t want to see it’! I just get on with it. I’m an actor - I act - I don’t want to be a celebrity.

Have you read really ridiculous things about yourself that just aren’t true?

Alfie: No – I don’t read much of it but some people tell me some funny things. I know that after my first night in Equus someone put the heading ‘Willy Allen’, which I thought was hilarious! But other than that I don’t really pay attention to it.

What’s next for you? Or do you just play it by ear?

Alfie: I have an idea of what I’m doing after this but at the moment I just want to concentrate on this and see what happens. I really do live by the motto that I just want to live in the present. I don’t really like to plan things too much. I’m quite un-organised to be honest so I just take things as they come.

Do you want to do more stage work?

Alfie: Definitely more stage work! I would love to do more stage, it’s very stimulating, and it’s exhilarating. But people have asked me what would you rather do, film, TV or theatre but I don’t think you can compare them. Film and TV are probably quite similar but theatre is just a thing on its own. It’s a complete learning curve which is fantastic, I’m enjoying every second of it.

Did you like the song that Lily wrote about you?

Alfie: I loved it!

Was it true?

Alfie: At a point it was yes! That was when I was much younger so I’ve grown out of it now!