Q&A on Elf Lyons Is The Woman On The Edge

You often blur the line between comedy, theatre, clowning and live art. Do you still feel like the comedy industry fully understands what you do? Whether they do or don’t does not interest me. We shouldn’t exist to be defined by those around us but only by the joy we feel in existing inside ourselves. What is joyful is knowing that the ‘industry’ is an ephemeral thing and what matters isn’t necessarily the ‘industry’ but the artists and the audience who create this world and how our work exists for them. I often find the people who talk most didactically about my work are often those who haven’t watched my shows. This is described as your most autobiographical work to date. Did that make writing it feel different from previous shows? Completely and for that reason it’s possibly been the most complex and forensic I’ve been making. You have to be very careful with what you choose to reveal and what is best to hold back for the sake of the audience and for the sake of your own mental health. Audiences often describe your work as unlike anything else they’ve seen. Do you consciously try to surprise people?

Absolutely. I think the reason audiences keep returning to my work is because they know each show will be different. Also, for me, each show requires a new form of ‘levelling up’. With each show there has to be a new quest, new skill and a new methodology I am applying to the show to take me and the audience somewhere uncharted. Physical comedy is such a huge part of your work. How important is movement and visual storytelling in shaping your ideas? It’s integral. Most of my ideas are formulated when I am either running, dancing or swimming. It’s hard for me to create when I am not in motion. Joke writing is easy writing down, but finding all the links and motifs has to be done on my feet. What excites you most about bringing this show to the Edinburgh Fringe?

I love Edinburgh. I get to watch artists I’ve never heard of and be inspired, I get to see my friends pushing boundaries and doing something different and then I get to show them what I’ve made. It’s lovely to celebrate one another’s craft.