EVIE AND ALFIE: A VERY BRITISH LOVE STORY

A delightful story about love from an era I can only relate to through the stories I remember hearing from my grandparents. I think, if you've got parents or grandparents in their twilight years, or maybe if you are that parent or grandparent, this story will strike a chord with you.

The performances were phenomenal. I've seen some of Jimmy Hogg's stuff before and have fallen in love with his storytelling, but he captured this character in different eras of his life brilliantly. Alex Dallas was also fantastic as Evie, bringing a lot of charm and depth to the role without being overshadowed, as she easily could have been, by the boisterous energy of Hogg.

This show was an absolute HIT with the boomers/gen x in the crowd. I think some jokes were a bit old-fashioned, drawing on some gender stereotypes and ball-and-chain style humor that might not play well to a younger crowd, but there were several jokes that were really hilarious for everyone. The end was abrupt but fairly effective. The creators/actors are obviously talented, charismatic, and funny. It’s a cute gap filler if you have ~50min to kill between shows.

A heartwarming comedy about a sweet, quintessential elderly British couple, EVIE AND ALFIE: A VERY BRITISH LOVE STORY is a hilarious play you don't want to miss. Starring the Fringe veterans Alex Dallas and Jimmy Hogg and directed by James Gangl, the witty new show perfectly depicts a realistic, loving, and long-lasting relationship in the most entertainingly genuine way: by having them sit on vintage chairs and retell their epic love story. Dallas and Hogg give the show life with their enigmatic performances, captivating the hearts and laughs of their audience.

The play starts off with the couple doing simple elderly-people things; such as birdwatching, reading the newspaper, or freaking out over their neighbour bringing their garbage bin out early. As they reflect on their relationship, they revisiting memories like the first day they met, their casual proposal, and Evie's pregnancy. More dramatic or upsetting moments are explored, but they only add depth and layers to Evie and Alfie's bond. Evie especially, had very powerful moments of what the youth would call "female rage" that displayed her strength and resilience to stay with Alfie even during the hard parts of their relationship.

Dallas (who plays Evie) and Hogg (who plays Alfie) make for an adorable on-stage duo. Their bickering, flirting, and comedic timing are spot-on, making every interaction between the characters feel believable and completely authentic to a real couple. It was fun seeing their different personalities shine through as well, with Evie being more cheeky and collected whilst Alfie is laughably persistent and rambling. The miming work was also genius for the memory story-telling aspects of the show, and their more youthful mannerisms during those moments additionally helped immerse the audience into that time of the couple's life.

One technical detail that captured my attention was the sound of a grandfather clock ticking to signal Evie and Alfie transitioning out of their past memories and into their present day elderly selves. It stood out amongst the very few other sound effects in the show. Other than that, the set was extremely simple with just two chairs but became very effective and versatile when visualizing scenes like Alfie's first time on Evie's motorbike.

EVIE AND ALFIE: A VERY BRITISH LOVE STORY is, overall, a wonderful show that I would highly recommend to any romantic with a funny bone. Truly, I have yet to see another laugh-out-loud comedic play at Fringe quite like this one. Alex Dallas and Jimmy Hogg together on stage is enough of a reason to watch this crowd-puller of a show.

My heart did not know what it was walking into when I sat down for the opening night of Evie and Alfie.

As a long-time fan of both Jimmy Hogg and Alex Dallas, I was prepared to laugh and experience their comedic genius, but what I wasn't expecting was the deep emotional impact of the story and the performances.

Watching Evie and Alfie play out their lives together, from first meeting to first date and all the other firsts in-between that happen when you're growing old together, the duo makes it easy to fall in love with the characters. And as you learn more about them, slip-ups, misdeeds and all, you love them both more for it.

The real winner though is the subtle nuances of both Hogg and Dallas's performances, which add another layer of genuine emotional connection and depth to an already stellar show.

I cannot recommend this show enough. It should be added to your "must-see" list!💛