ELF LYONS is The Woman on the Edge   ★★★★★

Elf Lyons is indeed a wonderfully particular Woman on the Edge, presenting a show that seems positively determined to defy encapsulation. This outstanding tour de force is a complex, autobiographical and observational show about lost love, and finding one's way back, performed in a period ballgown and extraordinarily barefoot on raised toes throughout. Mesmeric, Bergmanesque, sometimes bewildering and completely captivating, Lyons creates a whirlwind of energy, comedy and clowning that at times feels almost overwhelming.

Cinematic tropes and psychological unravelling take us on a journey through Vertigo, Apollo 13 at the Prince Charles Cinema, Pagliacci, ovulating with the moon's cycle, snails whose crushed shells cannot be restored, bouncy castles and loving men - observing that astronauts are all men. 

Beneath the fast-paced glorious meandering lies the genuine revelation of love lost while playing a horse on an exhausting extended tour, and becoming regrounded when another self catches up with her at an airport. The bouncy castle? Of course, it is Apollo 13. 

Utterly original, clever and truly outstanding: a five-star experience leading to a euphoric standing ovation. The audience emerged looking stunned, after an almost out of body communal experience, with their minds blown to an extent that they seemed dumbstruck in their elation.

Pleasance Courtyard, at the Edinburgh Fringe: August 2026 ©RoxyReviews