‘When I see an Alfa Romeo go by, I take my hat off.’ Henry Ford

ALFA is a performance focusing on the drastic shift from gasoline engines to electricity, a change set to be finalized in 2035 with the European Union’s decision to end the era of the internal combustion engine. This performance tells the story of Alfa Romeo enthusiasts coming together to share their passion for this iconic Italian car brand. Through a loving and humorous lens, the performance portrays a group of Europeans who must redefine their place in a world undergoing significant transformations.

The production is developed based on documentary material. Interviews, visits to various Alfa clubs’ meetings, photographic material, and intensive research in Italy form the foundation of this tragicomedy. The play explores the passion of people to believe in something and stand up for it.

On stage, we see a colorful collection of ‘Alfisti’: a father and son from Italy, an opera singer from Austria, a young couple from Germany, and two middle-aged friends from the Netherlands. They come together to talk about their cars, their clubs, and their world. This group represents a cross-section of Europe, with Alfa Romeo symbolizing Italian flair and fine dining for some, and the problems of Italy for others. As they try to reposition themselves in an uncertain future, they grapple with the impending changes and challenges.

How will their hobby evolve? Is it merely a shift from fossil fuels to electricity, or does it also involve a transition from individual transportation to shared mobility models? After all, almost a third of people in the Netherlands never drive, and generally, cars are parked by the side of the road about 96% of the time. Moreover, according to data from the Statista platform, only 10% of global CO2 emissions are caused by private transport.

Sustainability aspects are becoming increasingly important, such as how rare earth metals can be mined in a socially and environmentally friendly way to produce batteries, or how the replacement of the combustion engine can be organized without disadvantaging economically vulnerable people.

The mobility transition presents us all with significant questions and challenges. While the absolute necessity of working towards a sustainable future can hardly be disputed, it is challenging to implement the necessary changes on an individual level. Therefore, the Alfa club on stage is just as uncertain about the impending future as the majority of society. In multiple languages, the group engages in dialogue, attempting to better understand the relationship between the present and the future.

ALFA is an international co-production with the Landestheater Niederösterreich and the Tangente St. Pölten - Festival für Gegenwartskultur.

The performance is partly based on interview material with people who drive Alfa, work for Alfa, or have had other connections with the brand. With thanks to the interviewees:
Stefano Agazzi, Jacopo Bariani, Maurizio Cella, Elisabetta Cozzi, Mario Favilla, Marco Fazio, Andrea und Alfred Gabler, Eric ’t Hart, Patrick Italiano, Antonio Magro, Theo Meinster, Pasquale Oliveri, Arie Rosmolen, Gippo Salvetti.