Oli Fuller
A masterclass in performance, meeting the bitter reality with clowning in comedic perfection.
Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge is exactly what it says on the tin, but it is also so much more than that. It is a protest against misogyny in comedy, it is an ode to love and loss, it is a seamless comic beauty, it is everything I could have wanted and more.
Elf Lyons is an unbelievably talented performer, creating a gorgeous and almost uncanny valley version of herself as a Hitchcockian woman, a woman who is powerless and hysterical, a woman written by a man and designed to be weak. This is countered with herself, her own words, but not from her own mouth.
Lyons brings a man from the front row on stage to read the monologue she has written, her own words verbatim, discussing her life, and the moments where she was the woman on the edge in her real life. As the audience member reads, Lyons performs some of the most talented lip syncing I have ever seen.
This show, at its core, is about the men that tried to belittle and undermine Lyons as a woman in comedy. This scene creates a beautiful, outstanding visual metaphor, where not only has a man taken Lyons’ voice away from her, but also has complete power over her. She is lip syncing a live reading, she stops and starts as the man does, and this gives him the opportunity to play with her power, it is simply, truly, amazing.
There is so much about this show to enjoy, and to share much more in this review would only take away from the experience for those looking to see it. Just know that it is utterly fantastic.
Elf Lyons is a powerhouse of talent, this show is not to be missed.
Recommended Drink: A whisky on the space rocks
Catch Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge at Pleasance Courtyard from August 5th to 31st (not 17th) at 21:30 (60 mins) Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Freddie Haberfellner
Tom Clayton
Finlay Clench
