Elf Lyons is an award-winning comedian, clown, theatre maker, director, writer and voice artist renowned for her boundary-pushing performances that captivate audiences across the UK comedy and theatre landscape. With a cult following, she has established herself as one of the most innovative performers in the industry and proudly named by The Telegraph as one of the Top 50 Funniest Comedians of the 21st Century. Elf won the 2025 Sky Arts Award for Comedy for her show Horses. 

Her eclectic work spans re-enacting classical ballets, creating musicals about the economy and staging immersive horror shows, along with captivating lectures at esteemed venues like the Barbican.

Her accolades speak volumes: she is the winner of the Best Show ISH Comedy Award, Comedians Choice Award, Mervyn Stutter’s Spirit of the Fringe in 2024, and she also took home the winning title for Adelaide Fringe’s Best Comedy and Pick of the Fringe in 2023. Previously, she was a nominee for the Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Awards for Best Show in 2017.

She has featured on Comedians Giving Lectures (Dave), The Stand Up Sketch Show (ITV2), The A to Z of Horror Movies (Sky Original) Evil Genius (BBC Sounds) and The Dog Ate My Homework (CBBC). Elf is also a prolific writer, contributing to The Guardian, The Times, The Independent and a three times cover star of The Sunday Times Culture.

Elf is currently captivating audiences with her brand-new show, Horses, which debuted to critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024. This exhilarating solo show toured the UK and Australia in 2025. This Edinburgh Fringe, Elf returns for one final run of her critically acclaimed Bird Trilogy – Swan, Chiff Chaff, and Raven.

WINNER: SKY ARTS AWARD, COMEDY, HORSES, 2025

WIINER: BEST SHOW ISH COMEDY AWARD 2024

WINNER: COMEDIANS CHOICE AWARD 2024

WINNER: MERVYN STUTTERS’S SPIRIT OF THE FRINGE 2024

WINNER: ADELAIDE FRINGE ‘BEST COMEDY’ & ‘PICK OF THE FRINGE’ 2023

NOMINEE: EDINBURGH FRINGE AWARD BEST SHOW 2017

NOMINEE: MALCOLM HARDEE AWARD FOR COMIC ORIGINALITY 

NOMINEE: BRITISH COMEDY GUIDE’S COMEDIANS CHOICE AWARD 

NOMINEE: NEURODIVERSE REVIEW DEAF ACTION DEAF EXCELLENCE AWARD 

NOMINEE: FRINGE WORLD ‘BEST COMEDY SHOW

BRITISH VOGUE’S ’20 NAMES OF NOW’

One of the 50 funniest comedians of the 21st Century – THE TELEGRAPH

“Frankly brilliant…praise her genius-and go”  ★★★★★ THE TELEGRAPH

“Expert clowning that’s by turns charming, silly, touching and catastrophic” ★★★★ SUNDAY TIMES

“This is comedy as enchantment” ★★★★ THE SCOTSMAN

“Elf Lyons is a monster of a performer and she is beautiful” ★★★★★ BROADWAY BABY

“Hysterical tour de-force” ★★★★★ THREE WEEKS

★★★★★ EDINBURGH FESTIVAL GUIDE 

★★★★ THE GUARDIAN

★★★★ SUNDAY TIMES

★★★★ EVENING STANDARD

★★★★ THE LIST

★★★★ FEST MAG

★★★★ CHORTLE

★★★★ THE SKINNY

★★★★★ STARBURST MAGAZINE

★★★★★ QUINTISSENTIAL MAGAZINE