Elf Lyons: Swan

Completely insane, and the funniest thing you'll see

Elf Lyons: Swan

This show encompasses everything that is brilliant about the Fringe. It's one woman, onstage, being weird and wonderful and entirely herself (I think), because that's what you can do here. And Elf Lyons does not hold back.

At the beginning, she announces that she's going to speak French for the duration of the show. Only flaw in this plan: she can't speak French. The next hour is spent listening to a brilliant example of Franglais at its finest, which you might think would get dull, but somehow actually gets funnier the longer it goes on.

There isn't anything that's not funny in this show, come to think about it. I didn't stop laughing once, for the entire hour. Lyons does her version of the ballet, Swan Lake, except - you guessed it - she can't do ballet. It's part pantomime, part emotional French ballad by a hand puppet, and part commentary on her life, and it's completely and utterly brilliant.

Audience participation is also an intrinsic part of the show, and Lyons had several of us helping her create atmosphere with bubbles and fake snow, or providing someone for her to serenade. Don't shy away from getting involved - you'll be laughing even harder once you discover how difficult it is to blow bubbles whilst already laughing and trying to watch someone ballet dance!

I can't do this show justice, not in the slightest. It is a celebration of every strange and bizarre thing we do on a whim; it is brave and full of heart; most importantly, it is absolutely hilarious. You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't go and see this show. And if you do, throw yourself into it entirely. It's even better that way.


Elf Lyons: Swan is on at Underbelly Med Quad at 21:30 until August 28th. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the EdFringe website.

Author

Sam Nead

Sam Nead Contributor

I am a 22 year old student who loves reading, writing and all things theatre-related. I am studying Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences at Birmingham University and I'm trying to write a novel, but not doing very well at it!

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