Enoch Lwanga: Discovering Confidence Through Acting
Enoch Lwanga has been making a name for himself on stage for the good part of two decades. Having come from a dance background before moving into theater and writing, Enoch’s new transition onto screen coincided with his lead role in Reform The Funk's production of Kojja, written and directed by Kakembo. We sat down with Enoch to discuss his experience of sharing a Ugandan narrative. As well as the multiple channels of his creativity and how they've led to a new level of self-confidence. “I’m dyslexic and reading was something that was difficult for me. So when I picked up a script, it engaged me to work on that skill”
Having started out dancing and with the influence of his father, who is an actor and writer in Uganda, Enoch’s dedication to creativity is one which has taken him down an ever explorative route. “When I was eleven I was doing tap, jazz, hiphop, ballet, and musical theater at my local theatre in Peckham. I kept dancing, I did a lot of amateur dramatics and it spiraled from there”. Deciding to go to drama school pushed Enoch to have to work harder explaining how “I’m dyslexic and reading was something that was difficult for me. So when I picked up a script or something that engaged me to work on that skill, through reading I became better at comprehension.” Learning that a third of dyslexic people in the UK are known to pursue performing arts, Enoch tells us how he felt like he’d found his people. Overtime, his passion for writing also took hold, leading Enoch to write a two hander for theater as well as a one man show his currently working on. “ It’s been a great outlet for creativity because I’m writing things I haven’t seen on stage before”. Having agency over the kind of work he wants to bring to life has also made him reflect on the huge array of skills and knowledge he possesses from his days of dancing, acting, choreographing and even photography. This has helped Enoch recognise his capacity for creating and “step into a place of becoming an artist, not just an actor”.
““I’m starting to step into a place of becoming an artist, not just an actor””
A parallel evolution in Enoch’s creative career has been his move from stage to screen. He tells us that compared to theater where you rehearse for lengthier periods of time with feedback and improvements along the way, filming has been completely different. “You don’t see your work until it’s edited and you don’t know how they’re going to edit you, you don’t know if you’ve done a good job - there’s all these factors. So I’m curious to see what I can improve on as a performer, what I do well and leaning into that because it’s a new realm for me”. This intension to keep progressing is something he reminds us is essential because “you can have the natural gift and be talented, but it’s about the work that you put into it that helps propel you.” For Enoch, a huge part of this work is preparing and studying characters, roles and scripts ahead of time.
For each project Enoch works on, he tells us how “I always learn something about myself. In theater, if it’s not the actual play, it's about the room and how I navigate myself in those spaces.” Despite this being something that Enoch explains helps him become more solid in his sense of self, he also explains how “I'm used to spaces where passive aggressiveness rules”. Therefore, it was heartwarming to learn that his recent film Kojja (based on the story of a Ugandan family in London) was a completely different environment. “It felt so freeing because it’s the first project I’ve done where the main creative team was Black. There was no point when I was trying to assimilate anything and I’m Ugandan as well so I could just be myself and that was a lovely thing to step into.” Enoch describes how “on set everything was deep but everything was light. You could speak your mind, everyone could be themself and it was accepted. That’s beautiful. So for me to be this quirky, light-hearted Black man in this space felt refreshing”. A huge reason behind this was thanks to the director, Derrick Kakembo, who Enoch explains would allow “his mind to go wherever it goes in true artist form. He allows himself to go as slow or as fast as he wants until he feels secure in what he has. But also knowing that he wants to improve; his open”. Not a lot of people have that mindset, but Kakembo is someone Enoch says is driven by getting better.
““We find Chison in a place where is going through a lot of turmoil in his mind””
In Kojja, we see Enoch play the role of Chisom, a hard working 28 year old South Londoner, newly unemployed. We meet him at the start of the film having been fired unjustly, restrained by security and shocked by the situation. Enoch explains how “The film shows him coming to terms with what happened and understanding where he can go next. He is full of aspirations and dreams but his going through a lot of turmoil in his mind”. We see Chisom trying to influence the life of his teenage nephew Ake and prevent him going down the wrong path that some of his friends went down. This is something that Enoch resonated with having grown up in Peckham in the 2000s, telling us how “acting and church (but mostly acting) was what kept me away from things, it kept me on the right path because it let me express myself”. He continues by saying how “back then you didn’t get to express yourself unless it was anger. If a boy cried, parents and society would question why he was crying”. The reality of such experiences being on screen is something that Enoch hopes will help others feel seen.
“The message is universal, from the lens of a Ugandan. And we don’t see a lot of Ugandan stories so it was an honour be a Ugandan telling one”
Similarly, the presence of Luganda into the script was something Enoch was proud to champion. “I think it’s amazing that they’ve put Luganda in this because it makes it more relatable for the Ugandan community.” Being able to take an audience into the heart of a home using language is something that Enoch also credits for building a stronger connection to the narrative. “With stories, the more zoned in you are on something, the more universal it becomes.” He continues by explaining how “Anyone can relate to it because when you introduce a language or dialect you are taken into that world, you can imagine yourself in it”. At first, the prospect of acting bilingual was something Enoch found a little scary, telling us how “I understand Luganda very well, I know how to speak it but it takes me a while to get the phrases out. I was worried that if I used it wrong, it would lessen the character because Chisom is well-versed in Luganda”. With the help of fellow cast members translating the script, Enoch felt supported in confidently stepping into his role, reflecting the care shown from all members of the project. “The future looks like freedom from this matrix! It looks like exploration, to keep growing”
We finish our conversation by discussing Enoch’s future. He tells us how his driven by wanting to help others become confident, particularly through creative avenues, alongside prospering in his own personal career. “I want my art to fund my life and fund the generation below me - to pass it on to help others in the same way people helped me”. We look forward to seeing the creative resilience that Enoch embodies to achieve everything he desires in life. Certain that he will bring a fresh, authentic approach to whatever he turns his hand to.
Interview & Words: Bethany Burgoyne / Photographed by Kim Lang
