Graduate of L’Ecole Philippe Gaulier, Elf Lyons is returning to Edinburgh with a brand-new clown show. We fired over a Q&A to get more info.

Hi Elf, tell me about your show.

Swan is a very, fun, silly, show. It has lots of unnecessary props in it and is a direct response to my dad’s request ‘why can’t you just do a normal stand up show?’ It’s my attempt to do a one woman production of Swan Lake in an hour. In French.

What does Edinburgh mean to you?

The word ‘Edinburgh’ induces a tremor down my spine, a fever and acute anxiety dreams. It also causes great arousal. I don’t know why.

Who inspires you and why?

Angela Lansbury. For reasons I don’t think I need to explain.

Describe your best or worst experiences on stage

Worst experience was performing Pelican last year with a huge fever to an audience of 15 foreign exchange students and one reviewer.I couldn’t tell if I was hallucinating or not. There was a dragon there.

Describe your best or worst review.

“You have to hear the horror for yourself” The Scotsman on my accents.

If you weren’t a performer, what would you be?

A lion.

What was the last book you read?

Blue Sun: Depression and Melancholia by Julia Kristeva and Joanna Russ’s The Female Man.

Imagine that the BBC have asked you to produce a primetime show. What would it be and who else would be involved?

A live Q&A with fictional writers, directors and performers. Like Graham Norton, but entirely made up. The other performers would probably be Ryan Lane, Lucy Pearman, Rosie Holt, Siblings and Joz Norris.