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Elf Lyons

Edinburgh Preview: Elf Lyons – Swan

March 9, 2017 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Elf Lyons

Fresh out of Gaulier, Elf Lyons is embarking on an experimental new hour of stand up, inspired by her fascination with ballet.

Lyons is critical of various ballet productions, including Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, and this leads her to attempt to recreate Swan Lake as a one-woman production, in French. These extravagant intentions are realised within a small theatre room above the Old Joint Stock pub in Birmingham. It’s the first outing of Elf’s new material but the confidence of her delivery doesn’t give the audience this impression.

Timeless in a way that is reminiscent Noel Fielding’s performance in The Mighty Boosh, Elf is a wide-eyed, theatrical whirlwind of a performer. She is uncompromising but likeable, with a cheeky glint in her eye like that of a naughty school girl. And I’m sure that’s what she must have been, underneath the shy, awkward exterior of her youth that she describes.

In her efforts to create ‘something out of nothing’, Lyons gets swept up in the fantasy of ballet narratives whilst remaining astutely self-aware. Her comedy is obscure, often relying on visuals, utilising costume, dance and mime, and she teeters on the border between long-limbed elegance and charming clumsiness. Elf is an endless cultivator of energy on stage. And with a style of comedy that is predominantly child-friendly due to its clownish nature, alongside an abundance of fresh ideas that will be refined through further stage time, Lyons’ comedy is generally accessible if you are willing to leave your inhibitions at the door.

Whereas this performance had Elf detail her plans for her new rendition of Swan Lake, it also jumped around to explore lots of other areas including her time spent in France over the past year with a 45 year old lover, her relationship with her mother growing up and time spent at the Priory as a child. It will be interesting to see which elements make it to the final show, or whether the ambition of a full production of Swan Lake performed in under an hour will come to fruition.

Either way, it was a nice change to sit down with a ‘double wine’ and enjoy an hour of escapism. Keep an eye out for Elf Lyons as she puts together this new show, as no doubt it will develop a great deal over the coming months.
ELF LYONS INTERVIEW
Posted in: Comedians, Live Comedy, Previews, Reviews Tagged: British Comedy, Comedy, Elf Lyons

Interview: Elf Lyons

February 22, 2017 by Becca Moody 1 Comment

© Lucy Brown

Elf Lyons is a comedian whose stand up is potentially as much of a performance as comedy can get. She is vibrant, loud and unafraid of exploring territory unknown to herself and her audiences, making for exciting and unique experiences for performer and viewers alike. Her latest solo show Pelican, a show exploring the comic’s relationship with her mother, received great critical acclaim and it seems as though this newest show might just follow suit.
Lyons has also teamed up with comic Ryan Lane to produce a surreal two-man show called Hilda & The Spectrum. Elf is currently performing Work In Progress shows at various venues across the country, so be sure to catch her if you are looking for something a bit different.
MoodyComedy caught up with her to hear more about the new shows…

1) What’s changed in the life of Elf since we last spoke in 2015?

Well, most importantly – I’m still ginger – and I still love sharks- but other than that, everything has changed in some way. I can run 5k in 27 minutes (my best time), I’ve been to L’Ecole Philippe Gaulier for a year and lived in Paris studying acting, clown and bouffon. I had a whirlwind relationship with a French man who looked like a blond Serge Gainsbourg. Met my comedy soul mate Ryan Lane when we moved into the same house in France – like a more neurotic clown version of Will & Grace. Learned to box, started ballet, gigged in lots of very cool places, I do lots of weird stuff with the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society. Was a part of the Duckie Homosexualist Summer School at the RVT, created my own monthly LGBTQ comedy night at Her Upstairs. And now I have just finished touring my previous solo show Pelican – and now I am starting to showcase and preview my brand new shows.

2) What is your latest show about?

It’s my attempt to do a one woman production of Swan Lake, the ballet, in under an hour, in French. Using two fire extinguishers to replace the swans. Title to be decided.

I am also doing a crazy Mighty Boosh-y weird character show with Ryan Lane called Hilda & The Spectrum – based on two drag characters we created at Gaulier together.

3) What influenced your creativity while writing this new show?

After Edinburgh I had a huge bout of writers block – which comes to us all at some point – so to get myself out of the zone I did a workshop with Lucy McCormick which heavily inspired me and gave me the jiggle I needed to experiment. She likes the idea of playing with failure on stage – which led me to take the initiative to start playing with my fantasy to do the impossible and do a full scale production of Swan Lake on my own.

There is a lot of clown in the show – lots of improvisation. I’m really inspired by Spy Monkey too and I am currently doing a workshop with them which is pushing my clowning skills.

I love completing ‘challenges’ on stage – hence the desire to see if I can communicate the whole thing in a language that isn’t my first (French) and which is a language that I also can’t actually speak fluently at all.

Re Hilda & The Spectrum – it is every niche 90’s pop culture reference you can imagine in 45 minutes – all set in the world of the East Berlin sporting community. With Ryan our work is based on playing games with each other – and through playing games in our characters we create the scenes. In some ways the narrative doesn’t matter – it is our silliness and relationship that does. And it is SO SO CAMP.

4) What do you want audiences to take from it?

I want them to feel like Agnes in Despicable Me whenever she sees a Unicorn.

5) Is writing or performing more cathartic for you?

Performing. Always. Because I am with people. I write all the time but predominantly on my own, and after a while that is no good for the soul. I am very self aware when I write too, because I am analysing the writing, language/structure for the joke etc, and I can end up getting stuck in my own head. On stage, you’ve taken the plug out, all you think about are the people in front of you – and it is such an orgasmic release. All my neuroses disappear on stage.

6) What, if anything do you think your comedy is missing?

Pyrotechnics.

And a live band.

7) How do you define yourself as a comic?

A long one.

I think my comedy comes from the bits that I don’t write on my own and instead the interactions and odd-spur-of-the-moment realisations that come out on stage in the heat of the moment. (I don’t know. It’s hard to analyse without sounding like a pretentious turd.) I feel so comfortable with my wobbly long gangly body when I am on stage – I forget about the bits that make me insecure when I am off stage – so when I am on stage I become free to use it and play with it to create comedy in all forms. Basically, physical and weird. That’s my comedy. And sexy. Let’s throw that word in there too.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT ELF LYONS’ WEBSITE

Posted in: Comedians, Interviews Tagged: British Comedy, Comedy, Elf Lyons, Hilda & The Spectrum, Ryan Lane

A Guide To Edinburgh 2015

August 7, 2015 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment
That time of year is upon us once more; thousands of performers, reviewers and audience members are preparing to visit the holy grail of comedy that is the Edinburgh Festival. Here is a quick run through of everything MoodyComedy would be attending if only I could get there this year. Do get in touch if you attend any of these shows, or see something else that you think should be featured. You can also catch up with the past week’s exclusive MoodyComedy interviews.

Stuff That’s Gold

2015KATHERI_SV

Katherine Ryan

Katherine Ryan is performing her latest show, Kathbum, currently riding high on her phenomenal rise to fame in recent years and showing no signs of stopping any time soon. With every new show, Katherine only increases in her wisdom, experience and cutting sass, similar to that of Irish charmer Aisling Bea who brings her second show, Plan Bea, to the festival. Another name to watch out for is that of Luisa Omielan, who will perform a very limited run of her second show Am I Right Ladies?!. Omielan is a performer that cares about her audience to an extent I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed before: her show is empowering, lively and not to be missed.

James Acaster presents another whacky hour of surreal yet surprisingly dramatic story-telling stand up in his show Represent and Joe Lycett returns, with possibly the best show title of the year: That’s The Way, A-Ha A-Ha, Joe Lycett. And it would frankly be a mistake to miss out on seeing Bridget Christie‘s latest show, A Book For Her, which sees the launch of her debut novel, and showcases her trademark blend of feminism and spectacular comedy.

Stuff That’s Odd

Tony Law, the king of surreal comedy, is performing his new show Frillemorphesis where he explores ideas such as shouting, moving and talking, absolutely standard. A live show from the Tone Zone is an opportunity not to be missed, or forgotten in a hurry, and his being in this category is by no means a suggestion that this show will not also be Gold.

Shouty extraordinaire Bobby Mair brings another dark and bitterly funny show off the back of his recent television successes, entitled Filthy Immigrant; Tom Allen performs Both Worlds with his signature sinister calm and endearing flamboyance and Harriet Kemsley, who spent the first part of this year supporting Katherine Ryan on tour, also performs her debut hour, Puppy Fat, which has got the critics excited. If you like a bit of audience interaction, Jonny Awsum’s show Everything Is Awsum will be another unforgettable experience, as will Patrick Monahan’s seventies-inspired show The Disco Years.

Stuff That’s Free

Now any Edinburgh Festival-goer will be able to tell you that ticket price does not necessarily dictate quality; free shows are on the rise as they are a great way of ensuring the trip is more affordable for comedians and fans alike. There are some real gems performing shows this year that rely on kind donations alone.

lou

Lou Sanders

Rob Auton has prepared another delightfully off-kilter, poetical concept show entitled The Water Show where he considers everything surrounding the theme of water, much like his previous shows which have centred around themes such as Yellow, Sky and Face. Elf Lyons‘ Being Barbarella is a high-octane adventure, discussing science fiction, liberation and sharks. This lady is a true one-off, who’s surreal form of comedy is often likened to The Mighty Boosh. And Lou Sanders, being the wonderful shambles of a performer that she is, brings her insane show about her efforts to get accepted into Eton College For Boys, of course entitled: Excuse Me, You’re Sitting On My Penis Again.

Stuart Goldsmith will also be recording episodes of The Comedian’s Comedian Podcast where he interviews everyone that is anyone in the world of comedy, delving deep into the psyche of the performer and having many laughs in the process. The line up for this year is stellar and although the recordings are free to attend and non-ticketed, the venue will undoubtedly fill up quickly on the night so plan ahead.

You can purchase tickets for all shows mentioned on the Edinburgh Festival website.

READ EDINBURGH PREVIEWS HERE

Posted in: Comedians, Edinburgh, News Tagged: Aisling Bea, Bobby Mair, Bridget Christie, Edinburgh Festival, Elf Lyons, Harriet Kemsley, James Acaster, Joe Lycett, Jonny Awsum, Katherine Ryan, Lou Sanders, Luisa Omielan, Patrick Monahan, Rob Auton, Stuart Goldsmith, Tom Allen, Tony Law

Seven Questions With… Elf Lyons

January 27, 2015 by Becca Moody 1 Comment
Elf Lyons is vibrant and uncompromising; a woman of the people with a warm, friendly charm. This lady was clearly born to perform, and not just in a public speaking sense, but in an extravagant and physical style of comedy that few seem to be creating these days. Elf, who’s comedy is often compared to that of Noel Fielding, hits London in early February with her new show, Being Barbarella. If you need energising, or just want some new talent to watch, check out this refreshingly real and exhilarating performer.
I asked Elf these seven questions to learn a little more about her…

1) What is the first thing you think of every morning?

More often than not my thought process in the morning tends to go like this: First, “Why is the woman upstairs vacuuming at 6am?”, secondly; “I’m never drinking three bottles of Prosecco again,”  then, “How did I get home?”, then, “Please God let there be coffee in the kitchen”, then, “I should probably go to the gym and think about what I’ve done with my life”, then finally ‘NO. Bad idea. I’ll just eat a croissant in bed and write a new bit of material instead. WISE”, followed by “WHY IS SHE STILL VACUUMING??”

However, if I am being a normal adult woman (which is what I am 99% of the time because I am very mature) I tend to wake up every day around 7.30am, turn to my left, look at the ‘To-Do List’ I write religiously the night before (just before I go to sleep usually- this is one of the great superpowers OCD gives you: ‘uber organisation’) and follow/complete the to-does I’ve set myself. It always starts with the first point: ‘WAKE UP’ and then ‘GET COFFEE’. If I can get all the admin-rubbish done as early as possible in the day, it gives me more time to be creative and make work for the rest of the day. And go to the cinema.

Photo: Pippa Moyle

Photo: Pippa Moyle

2) What was your favourite subject at school?

Art. I used to draw all my teachers in class, used to make up characters in my head and I was obsessed with Pastels and making a mess. Also, you were allowed to listen to the RADIO in class! #winning. I am so at peace when I am drawing – I used to sketch lots of comics live when I first started and am proud to say I have a lovely lil drawing of James Acaster from 2010 in my journal at home!

When I was life-drawing I used to listen to comedy podcasts on my iPod. However, my teacher had to ask me to stop listening to them when I was drawing. When I asked why, he explained that I kept on laughing randomly during the sessions and it was making Miles, our life model, very nervous. He thought I was laughing manically at him and his flaccid member, however, I had to explain I wasn’t laughing as his naked body but was in was in fact giggling at the comedy of The Mighty Boosh. Easy misunderstanding.

When I left Uni I ended up getting a job as a life-model. Most of my parent’s friends didn’t know what that was, so I just told them I was a ‘lazy stripper’. My parents were thrilled.

3) Something that you’re afraid of?

Seals. I am terrified of seals. They are the underwater equivalent of Samara from The Ring and look like the type of animal Hades would keep as a pet in the Underworld. Big fat blubbery demetor mammals with eyes like black snooker balls. THERE IS NOTHING CUTE ABOUT THOSE EYES. THOSE ARE THE EYES OF A PSYCOPATH. I have no problem with seals being eaten by sharks. I tried to explain this to a man I met on the tube once. He moved seats.

4) What is the worst month of the year?

I’m gonna be blunt and say that March is pretty pointless. I personally think we have too many months with 31 days anyway and I’d argue that March could possibly just get cut and we could double up and have a 61 day June – as June is the absolute best. Although we have international ‘Save a Spider Day’ on March 14th, I’d go so far to say this is the only redeeming feature of March. March is named after Mars who was the Roman God of War, and next to seals, I absolutely hate war and I don’t think we should have a month that encourages it. Also if you were born in March, chances are you are either an Aries or Pisces and as a Gemini (again, June is the best) I have never had a successful Tinder date with either.

5) Who is your comedy hero?

My dad. He’s always saying very funny, dry jokes. For example, when I ask him, “Hey dad! Do you love me?”, he always replies with the phrase, “What are the choices?”. Never gets old. Never.

He was born in March.

Other than that, my comedy heroes have always been Dave Allen, Emo Phillips, Noel Fielding and French & Saunders.

6) What’s your opinion on celebrity culture?

I can’t wait to be a part of it. If it helps one get a ‘Black Nandos’ card to eat free in my favourite chicken establishment or be able to get 35687,0000000 likes on Instagram for a picture of my puppy, Khaleesi, I am all for it.  Also, by ‘celebrity culture’ I assume you also mean the other western translation meaning ‘Kim Kardashian’s bottom?”. That is a very important part of celebrity culture, and I’d argue to some extent a global issue. Any woman that can happily risk balancing a bottle of expensive champagne (or Prosecco, she may be on a budget) on her oiled posterior all for the sake of breaking the internet (very important issue right now) gets a high five from me. Mainly because if there is one thing I think that is lacking at the moment, it is highly suggestive and sexualised imagery of powerful women doing impractical things with kitchen appliances and home goods! AM I RIGHT LADIES???

7) What would you like people to take away from your comedy?

A chair. Chairs at comedy gigs are often very comfortable and if you enjoyed the gig i think it’s wise to take* the chair you laughed in home with you, so you can sit in and go “ah, this is my fun chair”.

A memory. The type of memory that one can sit and think about fondly in one’s fun chair and go “Ah… that was a fun gig.”

A picture of my face. Like a religious memento, that one can look upon and cry fondly over.

*some would say ‘steal’.

BUY TICKETS FOR NEXT WEEK’S LONDON RUN OF ELF LYONS: BEING BARBARELLA

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

Posted in: Comedians, Seven Questions With... Tagged: Being Barbarella, British Comedy, Comedy, Elf Lyons, Interview, Seven Questions With
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