Zoe Lyons, recent winner of the Chortle Comedy Award and with appearances at Live at the Apollo, The John Bishop Show, Mock the Week and The News Quiz under her belt, is in Edinburgh with a new show. This show focuses on the ways we fit or don’t fit into society, which Lyons tells us she’s always had problems with. Under this umbrella theme we find not self-pity (“We’ve all moaned about how misunderstood we are”, after all) but humour made from pointing out the ridiculousness of some of the boxes that we put ourselves into. Politics, sexuality, religion, technology and beauty salons are all up for mockery in this hilarious show, but Lyons’ real target is narrow-mindedness. Pausing first in amazement at her victims, Lyons gets us to marvel at the shapeshifting Conservatives or illogical homophobes before gleefully ripping them to pieces. Political correctness does not go unmentioned, either.
She may hope that politicians never say what she is thinking, but it makes for a good show for us.
This is comedy that is well-balanced and deftly executed, though treading the line at times between jokes that separate and jokes that bring the audience together—after all, this is all about our “gangs”. Whatever the subject, though, Lyons is adept at showing off its humour. At its best when weaving jokes together along the narrative of the show, or when dwelling on how sofas and fridges end up “nearly-thrown-out” beside British bins, we see many sides of society here, with Lyons’ imitations bringing it all to life.
Bouncing around the stage, unafraid to ad lib, and airing her personal life for our entertainment, Lyons is showing as well as telling us that she is comfortable, now, as a misfit. She may hope that politicians never say what she is thinking, but it makes for a good show for us.
Broadway Baby Podcast Interview: www.broadwaybaby.com/news/on-the-mic-edinburgh-podcast-zoe-lyons-little-misfit/1384
Zoe returns with a brand new show after recent appearances on Live at the Apollo, The John Bishop show and winning the Chortle Best Comic award. You might also recognise her from regular stints on Mock the Week and The News Quiz. Not bad for a girl who has never really felt part of the gang. Thankfully Zoe has reached that point in her life when the thought of fitting in would be utterly terrifying. She is far happier being a Little Misfit. ‘This is what very, very good looks like’ (Skinny).
