Alfie

Published Monday 25 January 2010 at 10:40 by Julie Watterston

Is he a male chauvinist and irresponsible Cockney lad about town? Or an insecure, social misfit scared of getting hurt?

Edward Elks (Alfie) in Alie at South Hill Park Arts Centre Photo: George Riddell

While Alfie is all of these things and Naughton’s play has been lauded as an iconic example of rebellion in the swinging sixties, there is no denying that Alfie Elkins is a complex character of honest vulnerability and fragile moral fibre.

Edward Elks is uncannily like Michael Caine, who made the role his own in the film of the same title. Looks, mannerisms and that appealing wide boy charm are recreated to perfection, while Elks still manages to bring his own personality and a sharp edge to the role. Talking directly into the auditorium is never easy and standing in a single spotlight for a large part of the play, Elks assertively confides in his audience with a swaggering ease.

Multitasking in a variety of supporting roles, Ben Harrison, Lisa Howard, Gabrielle Meadows and Courtney Spence are excellent in portraying a myriad of different characters. From the harrowing abortion scene to cafe owners, lorry drivers and vampish women, they carry us through Alfie’s social circle as judgmental voyeurs.

As a theatrical interpretation of hedonistic post-war freedom, the play is as interesting today in a world where Alfie’s lack of social responsibility would be seen in a much more forgiving light.