Toronto Fringe Festival 2026
Evie and Alfie: A Very British Love Story
Pork Chop Express
Genre: Comedy
Festival: Toronto Fringe Festival
Low Down
There is something in each of these characters that will ring true for those watching the show. It is truly a joy to watch these brilliant actors bring home a story that is completely relatable for all generations, with humour, drama, and compassion.
Review
Evie and Alfie have lived through many of life’s challenges but have stayed together to an advanced age. They take the hour to relive many of the key milestones in their history. The story is told with pathos, comedy, anger, charm, and resolution.
Alex Dallas and Jimmy Hogg are two highly talented actors who have transformed what could be considered ordinary moments into engaging and funny routines. The comedy is transmitted not only with quick wit and clever lines, but also with simple gestures and facial expressions. Add the truly hilarious physical comedy bits and it’s a complete entertainment package. Director James Gangl has taken moderate staging, with two wooden chairs and a table, and used those props plus effective sound effects and lighting to move through the decades of Evie and Alfie’s life.
We meet this quintessential English couple when they are in their 70s, living a quiet life in their living room. He is a bit forgetful as he is asked to bring tea and biscuits, and she is absorbed in her magazine. They seem to have a comfortably compatible existence, looking out the window at birds and chatting.
As they flashback to their early days of dating, then marriage, then a child, the solidarity unravels. Dallas and Hogg easily switch between their advanced ages to their younger selves, using the simple prop of eyeglasses to transform from elderly to the various decades of their lives. Throughout, the couple finds ways to manage their conflict, with affection and understanding.
Evie and Alfie could be your parents, your grandparents, your neighbours, or you. There is something in each of these characters that will ring true for those watching the show. It is truly a joy to watch these brilliant actors bring home a story that is completely relatable for all generations, with humour, drama, and compassion.
Alex Dallas (writer/performer) is a writer, actor and performer from London, England who has been living and working in Canada for the past 30 years. As a founder member of the female comedy troupe, Sensible Footwear, she has toured the world and performed at prestigious festivals and theatres. She has written six one-woman shows, works as a Voice Artist and played Queen Victoria in the video game, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate.
Jimmy Hogg (writer/performer) is a writer, actor, director, comedian and storyteller from Plymouth, UK, who has made his name on the Fringe circuit over the last 20-years. His work has been seen and heard on BBC Radio 5, CBC Radio, and Just For Laughs. He has numerous awards and merits and has won Best of Fringe eighteen times.
