Philippe Gaulier

It's hopefully both amusing and illuminating.

Elle Lyons is a British comedian and writer who performs in both the worlds of stand-up and clown, having studied in France with the late Philippe Gaulier.

Her 2017 show, Swan, received a nomination for Best Show at the Edinburgh Fringe, while her 2024 show, Horses, earned Best Show from both the ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards and the Comedians' Choice Awards.

Her newest show, The Woman On The Edge, was the best reviewed show of the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe, and earned her Spirit of the Fringe honors for The List, Scotland's biggest arts and entertainment guide.

Exactly like that.

Now, for anyone who doesn't know about you, David, what is your comedy journey? What is your clown journey? We both went to Eccle Godia, but like what got you into comedy and what made you decide to study clowning and go to the land of Eccle Godia? That is shit.

Like a GYR shit.

Is that what you, did you get that one? No, he just...

No. [laughs]

Yeah, my husband and I and a couple of our friends went for two weeks to a, a town called Étampes and, uh, there's a, like a clown intensive by a school called Philippe Gaulier and it's a very specific style of performance.

Everyone thinks clown school means that you're learning balloon animals [laughs] and, like-

[laughs]