Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge (Fringe review) 5 Stars *****

How do you deal with your fiancé breaking up with you over Whatsapp? In merely an hour, Elf Lyons attempts to answer this question in a way that is funny (and definitely not sad). 

She starts the show by acting out the part of a 1940s-esque faded Hollywood star, who drags on nonexistent cigarettes and makes phone calls on various pieces of fruit to her husband, the clown Pagliacci. This is one of the several forms of the woman on the edge that appear throughout the show.

When Lyons leads a man from the audience on stage to read out a lengthy monologue while she mimes along, we start to understand how she ended up in this position. Lyons uses miming to exquisite effect throughout the hour, whether that is to excerpts from the Apollo 13 movie, voice notes from her sister discussing Lyon’s mental health, or recordings from what sounds like a therapy session.

The switching between characters, witty one liners, and the impressive physicality of Lyons’ performance means there is never a dull moment. A scene where Lyons reads out various shockingly unselfaware breakup messages men have sent her has the audience howling with laughter. There is a significant amount of time dedicated to discussing snails. Yet slowly, Lyons weaves the disparate scenes and characters together, unravelling her story in a way that is raw, touching, and hilarious.

Lyons is cuttingly clever and confident on stage despite revealing some of the most intimate and painful moments of her life. Her honesty will resonate with anyone who has found themselves teetering on the edge and has somehow had to find the bravery within themselves to walk away from it. The audience was transfixed.

By the end of the show, my face hurt from laughing, but my eyes were also filled with tears. The standing ovation was well deserved. Forget the Edge, Elf Lyons is The Woman.

Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge, Beyond at Pleasance Courtyard, 5th to 31st August, not 17th, 9:30pm.

Photo credit: Richard Lakos