For those of you unfamiliar with the ex-copper turned standup, Alfie Moore is a gentle, old-school delight of a comedian.
His BBC Radio 4 series and podcast, It’s A Fair Cop, recounts real-life (though no doubt embellished) stories from his days on the beat. And while that’s been a big success and brought him a healthy following of loyal fans, his attempts to crack TV have been rather less successful. But here’s hoping!
Tonight’s audience is emblematic of that: predominantly aged 60 and above, these are clearly Radio 4 aficionados. Alfie meanwhile, dressed sharply in a dark suit with an open-necked shirt and waistcoat, is noticeably slimmer than the pre-lockdown version, his face accentuated by a neatly trimmed beard.
He’s a very warm presence and starts by engaging with the crowd in his accommodating style, welcoming latecomers and honing on any police officers present – territory in which he is clearly very comfortable.
With over two decades of service in the Humberside Police Force, Alfie’s comedy career has very much centred around his former occupation. Originally from Sheffield, he kicked off by reminiscing about his school days, and why he took on the role of class clown. His anecdotes about his father, fondly referred to as Big Alf, and his loyal police dog Zeus, revealed his deep affection for both, and trod comfortable territory for his loyal fanbase.
Alfie shared snippets of his personal life, including his ex’s unconventional romantic encounters in a shed dubbed ‘The Larva Shack’ with her maggot farmer boyfriend (yes, seriously) and how his second wife encouraged him to venture into stand-up.
But of course, there have been ups as well as downs. Whilst he’s about to release the seventh series of his Radio 4 series, a TV sitcom which was optioned by ITV refused to cast him in the lead because he was ‘too fat’, instead offering it to Jason Manford. Manford ultimately turned it down, and post-COVID, they pulled the plug on the whole project, but it did lead to Alfie losing a whole load of weight in an attempt to become more castable.
As the evening concluded, amidst plenty of laughter and applause, Alfie bid farewell, donning his father’s cap, leaving behind a delighted audience, safe in the knowledge they have a new series of his podcast to tune into in just a few short weeks.
