ED2017 5/5 Reviews ED2017 Comedy Reviews

Elf Lyons: Swan (Mick Perrin Worldwide in association with Dawn Sedgwick Management)

By | Published on Tuesday 22 August 2017

Elf Lyons tears down the snobbery surrounding ballet in this hysterical tour de force. She emerges in a cloud of talcum powder and conducts her retelling of ‘Swan Lake’ in Franglais, keeping her parrot costume on the entire time. The show is part lesson, part recital, with a pseudo-serieuse persona that allows her to deliver incredibly fresh and funny takes on the Tchaikovsky classic. Each sequence comes with audience interaction to help Lyons recreate a low-budget ballet of her own, with swift storytelling and an unflappably energetic stage presence. Her ability to don character archetypes and give them a thorough dressing-down in the same breath is remarkable. It’s adaptation on another level, clowning at its most accessible, and just amazing.

Underbelly Med Quad, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Louise Jones]

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