Comedian Elf Lyons is no stranger to the Adelaide Fringe, with rave reviews of her show Raven back in 2024, making her the talk of the town. Which is no mean feat in the cut-throat world of the Fringe. This year, she has brought the ballet “Swan Lake” to life in a way that even actor Timothée Chalamet would approve of.
The venue is within the State Library, which is hosting a series of alternative shows within the library itself and the adjacent Migration Museum courtyard. It’s a perfect hub for those who have seen enough acrobats and want something to exercise the mind.
Dressed in a red parrot outfit and with a charming French accent, Elf delves into her own childhood trauma. She relates how her mother dragged her to ballet lessons. She hated them. She hated French. Yet here we are today, learning more about Swan Lake than we do from many stuffy performances. Elf dissects and analyses Tchaikovsky’s famous play about a Swan and a Lake, presenting hilarious musings on what defines a lake. The ballet hinges on the dual role of the White Swan (Odette – innocence, vulnerability) and the Black Swan (Odile – seduction, deception), representing the split in the human psyche. We learn that it is common for the same ballerina to dance both Odette and her daughter Odile. We learn the basic moves that a ballerina must know. All with Elf’s beguiling charm and seductive poise.
The intimate room lends itself to perfect performer-audience interaction, where jokes land in different parts of the room and audience members become part of the show. The seriousness behind the ballet’s meaning is wonderfully contrasted with Elf’s manic body language and sense of humour, with plenty of good belly laughs throughout the show. With a few simple props, she becomes a puppet master and dramaturge all in one. She has a way of dragging the audience slap bang into her world.
Elf Lyon’s “Swan” is a plot within a plot, with her clown abilities shining bright. As we head into the final week, word will get out, and this show will sell out. Head down to the library and see what fun there is to be had. Warning, it’s not a show for the kids; it gets pretty spicy along the way.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
The reviewer attended the show on 17th March
Elf Lyons: Swan plays The Hetzel Room at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the State Library until March 22nd
The show involves ballet, violence, wrestling, nudity, an evil owl, magic, 45 bras and a very loose grasp of the French language.
Tickets at the Fringe Website
Header image credit: Karla Gowlett
