At 39 years of age, British comedian Zoe Lyons is contemplating what it is that she’s actually achieved. As it turns out, what one perceives to be “not much” carries its own little glories – success, after all, might simply lie in one’s interpretation of the term. Lyons, herself, has more interest in the feeling of success – no matter how big or small – rather than the achievement itself.
Why does she feel successful in seemingly minute things like seeing milk in the fridge and scoring an early luggage pick-up from the airport’s baggage carousel? She wonders why so many young people place burdensome expectations on themselves – are they risk-takers or mere trend-followers? And all this is delivered at a strikingly fast pace; Lyons moves between various topics and subjects swiftly and confidently – only on the rare occasion are a few audience members one step behind or a little perplexed by Lyons’ eccentric style of storytelling.
Although Lyons exudes immense energy and quite the swagger, she is – for the most part – extremely self-deprecating and this proves very endearing to the crowd. She makes the show seem very personable by relating hilarious stories of adventures in “magic fudge” and the horrifically embarrassing moments that took place on a nudist beach (this particular passage resulted in eruptions of laughter).
Lyons is intoxicating and extremely likeable – and much of it lies in the fact that she navigates through life in much the same way that she delivers Clownbusting – with heightened intensity and adventure; unabashed acceptance of idiosyncrasies and a celebratory acknowledgement of her anxieties. Contentment is a difficult issue to cover, and that’s why Lyons keeps the audience attuned to appreciating the small glories of the everyday. Lyons is a lively, riveting storyteller armed with some of the most unsuspecting and uproariously hilarious one-liners.
