[Comedy • Horror United Kingdom • Australian Premiere] The Gallery at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum, Wed 13 Mar, 2024. Elf Lyons tells us that one of the inspirations for this show is that she absolutely loves reading Stephen King books – she has read nearly all of them – and she suggests that there are enough Stephen King references in the show to thrill afficionados, but she will keep it obvious enough for non-Stephen King readers to still be suitably terrified. In particular, Stephen King’s love of the Gothic horror of Edgar Allan Poe, and the sense of mounting dread created in Poe’s poem The Raven is clearly an impetus for tonight’s performance. At its core are the monsters and fears which taunt us in childhood and remain with us. Dressed in leotard, fishnets and terrifying clown makeup, this macabre jester proceeds to tell five short stories, in the manner of Stephen King’s Nightmares and Dreamscapes, about the things that have haunted her throughout her childhood and led her to be the well-adjusted person she is today. In lesser hands this might be a torturous experience, but as the show progresses it becomes clear that we are witnessing a gifted and seasoned theatre maker pulling out all stops to keep us entertained. Rapid fire jokes, clever mime, interpretive dance, riveting storytelling, all held together with the tension one expects from a horror story. Razor sharp funny, frightening, filthy – a lot to pack into a single hour! Though the show is heavily scripted, Elf plays with the audience like a cat with prey, with little asides to several of the audience. She tells us that her attitude to children is derived from her former job as a secondary school teacher! In another aside which lets us in a little on what is going on here Elf mentions that she does not like being referred to as a clown – she tells us she has studied under Philippe Gaulier in the Bouffon comic style of theatre. One of the features of bouffon is striking a balance between grotesqueness and charm, and this is a key to the success of Elf Lyons – Raven: no matter how grotesque it gets, and it does get grotesque, Elf Lyons throws in enough charm to keep you on her side and with her all the way. Do not come to this show if you are filled with moral indignation when harm is being done to fruit. And only sit in the front row if you are a willing participant in this outrage. But lovers of Rage Against The Machine get a chance to sing along in rousing chorus at the end.