Elf Lyons’ autobiographical stand-up comedy show truly encapsulates a portrait of The Woman on the Edge. Inspired by Lyons’s love for Vertigo, Apollo 13, and the opera Pagliacci, her performance breaks the boundaries between worlds, as Lyons’ own personal experiences are translated into a metaphysical experience.
Lyons explores the intricacies of human connection through mime, character work, flashback scenes, voiceovers, audience interaction, and opera. As she navigates the collapse of her engagement, she refers to verbatim transcripts throughout the show to depict absurdities within the contemporary dating scene.
The story she tells is reflective and complex, as Lyons stumbles around on her tiptoes, portraying a frantic woman frequently drinking wine. Her comedic timing is excellent, and she is able to inhabit a space where she fluidly shifts from character-to-character. An absurd story about being drunk and saving snails from being stepped on was particularly amusing (especially due to her attempt at an Irish accent). Similarly, Lyons’ love for bouncy castles was made very apparent on multiple occasions.
Throughout the show Lyons juggles multiple characters in a way that allows them to juxtapose and reflex the many subtexts of the show itself. She primarily plays The Woman on The Edge in a frantic manner, yet her other clownesque characters also display layers of complexity. Comedic breaks depict resilience in the narrative, as Lyons does not allow individual moments to define her story.
The show concludes by linking arrogant masculinity within the dating sphere to the ingenuity of Apollo 13, while an inflatable space shuttle slowly inflates on stage. While one of the show’s main success points is the clever juxtaposition of absurd comedy with the referenced traumatic events, the true star is Lyons herself. Her ability to seamlessly deliver a show that stems from heartbreak, yet concludes with such levels of resilience ultimately gives the audience a great deal of hope.
Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge is running until 31 August at Beyond at Pleasance Courtyard. Buy tickets here.
Image by Richard Lakos, provided to The Student by The Pleasance for press use
