In conversation with Eve De Leon Allen
“Grief is so personal, but I do hope that the show offers people a chance to view losing a loved one in a warmer light.”
- Eve De Leon Allen
Eve De Leon Allen.
Eve is an actor, singer and musician from south London. They graduated from the Actor Musician course at Rose Bruford in 2021, and has since starred in The House with Chicken Legs at HOME Manchester/Touring/South Bank Centre, Blood harmony UK tour, and Sugarcoat at Southwark Playhouse.
When did you realise you had a passion for acting?
I realised I had a passion for acting pretty much as soon as I could talk, but I do remember the decision to become one happened when I was about 3, and I watched The Wizard of Oz for the first time. That’s when I truly fell in love with performing, and I never looked back!
Tell us about your first audition?
My first audition ever was for a CBeebies show called Nuzzle and Scratch. I was 9 and had just signed with an agency and it was my first time in an audition room. I booked the job but can’t for the life of me remember what actually happened in the audition!
You're currently starring in The House with Chicken Legs at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre. Can you tell us about the journey that brought the show to life?
We first opened The House with Chicken Legs at HOME theatre in Manchester last year. It’s a big show, full of technical challenges, as well as a story that is very emotional and quite difficult at times. When we did the run in Manchester, I did hope that the show would go further, but after so long, and knowing how busy Les Enfants Terribles are, I put the idea of a tour/transfer out of my mind. So this summer when Les Enfants Terrribles contacted me about the tour and the Southbank Centre run I was elated! It’s such a dream come true.
What kind of experience do you want audiences to take away from the show?
I hope that when people come to the show, they allow themselves to be lost in the magic and weirdness of this wonderful world we’ve created. The show is joyful and mad and truly insane in the best way possible. The House with Chicken Legs is also a kind of gateway to a form of healing. Grief is so personal, but I do hope that the show offers people a chance to view losing a loved one in a warmer light. Nothing can dull the pain of losing someone, but the way the characters deal with death is very cathartic.
Do you have any fun stories to share from the time you were preparing for the show?
The entire rehearsal period has been full of laughter and love from our cast and creative team. As a cast, we’ve racked up a number of inside jokes. A specific moment that lives in my head was when we got to York and the sun was shining; the cast and our amazing resident director (Michelle Payne) went to the minster and had ice cream sitting in the sun. We were so excited to start the tour. It was a very special moment.
Eve de Leon Allen in The House with Chicken Legs © Rah Petherbridge.
Has there been a piece of advice that significantly influenced your approach to acting?
When I was in my third year at drama school, we were performing a play by Tennessee Williams. I was nervous about my character as I didn’t think I could possibly portray a white character well as a black person. I didn’t want to seem like I was trying to play a white character. My director (the incredible Adjoa Andoh) told me to “play the rainbow”. Black people have existed everywhere throughout history, and speak in all sorts of ways, so there’s no reason for me to box myself in with the idea that that type of character doesn’t exist or isn’t truthful. It’s helped me to approach every character as an individual, and not to get caught up in factors that will only hold me back.
What's the first movie that made a lasting impression on you?
Peter Pan (2003). The magic, the flying, the action, the music! All of it enthralled me and it’s never left my mind. I regularly listen to the soundtrack!
Who is Eve De Leon Allen outside the 'office'?
When I’m not working, you’ll find me catching up with friends who I haven’t seen in months (because adult life is busy), writing my own songs, going to pole classes, knitting a scarf or two, and enjoying a salmon onigiri from Wasabi!
The #FLODown:
Best life advice?
Be a kind person. We all make mistakes, but always be kind.
Last song you listened to?
“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult.
Last book you read?
Why fish don’t exist by Lulu Miller.
Can't live without…?
Can’t live without sushi.
What should the acting industry be more of and less of?
More youth and diversity running things, less bigoted old white men who hate change!
Instagram: @evedleon
Twitter: @evedleona
Eve is currently starring in The House with Chicken Legs at the Southbank Centre, until 30 December 2023.
