The Bird Trilogy & Horses comes to Soho Theatre

Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominated comedian and cult clown Elf Lyons brings two of her most celebrated shows to Soho Theatre’s Main Theatre this winter, following hugely successful runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and beyond.

In critically-acclaimed The Bird Trilogy (12–20 December 2025), Lyons performs Swan, Chiffchaff and Raven - a riotous trilogy. Taking on the respective worlds of ballet, economics, and horror, each show is reimagined through Elf’s signature clown, mime, and surreal theatre. 

Made by Elf Lyons and performed by Treacle, Horses (7–10 January 2026) comes to Soho Theatre following its Sky Arts Comedy Award win in 2025. The first ever comedy show performed entirely by a horse, the show is a celebration of the inner child within and an adventurous reminder of the power of imagination. Bring your most enthusiastic childhood horse-loving energy to this hour, all about play, the power of pretending and the whimsical nature of life -  all explored through the eyes of a horse. 

Elf Lyons is an award-winning comedian, theatre maker, director, comedy writer and voice artist. She has gained a cult reputation as one of the most innovative performers on the UK comedy and theatre scene. Her work has included re-enactments of classical ballets, musicals about the economy, immersive horror shows and even lectures at venues such as the Barbican on the Surrealist movement.

Since 2017 Elf has been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show at the Edinburgh Fringe, the Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality, Fringe World Perth’s Best Comedy Show and in 2018 Elf won Pick of the Fringe at the Adelaide Fringe, Australia. 2020 her show Unlikely Darlings with Helen Duff was one of The Telegraphs ’50 Best Cultural Moments’ of the year. In 2023 Elf was listed in The Telegraph as one of the Top 50 Funniest Comedians of the 21st Century.

Since 2019 Elf’s TV and radio credits have included Comedians Giving Lectures (Dave), Comedians Against Living Miserably (Dave), The A to Z of Horror Movies (Sky Original) Unexpected Fluids (Radio 1), Evil Genius (BBC Sounds), and BBC World Service’s Stand Up Show – London (BBC World Service). She wrote and starred in her own BBC Three short Top Ten Things I Have Brought Whilst Drunk. She has been a series regular on The Stand Up Sketch Show (ITV2 – series 2 & 3), The Breakfast Show and Culture Hour (Times Radio), The Colin Murray Show (BBC Radio 5) and The Dog Ate My Homework (CBBC). She is a three-time cover star of The Sunday Times Culture.

Alongside performing on stage and teaching performers clowning, Elf is a well-respected writer. She has written articles for The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, Londonist, Cosmopolitan Magazine and Refinery29, amongst others. Elf was also featured on the cover of the Observer Magazine for her article ‘In Praise of Polyamory’.

Listings Information

Show:         Elf Lyons - The Bird Trilogy

Dates:               Friday 12th December - Saturday 20th December 2025

Venue:         Soho Theatre, Main Theatre 

Address:     21 Dean Street, London, W1D 3NE

Price:         From £16Box Office:       https://sohotheatre.com

Show:         Elf Lyons - Horses Dates:               Wednesday 7th January - Saturday 10th January 2026Venue:         Soho Theatre, Main Theatre Address:     21 Dean Street, London, W1D 3NEPrice:         From £16Box Office:       https://sohotheatre.com