Treacle the Horse wants you to know upfront that even though this is the first comedy show entirely performed by a horse, this is not funny. In fact, it’s deadly serious – humans have forgotten the fundamental importance of horses in our history and culture, and it’s Treacle’s responsibility to remind us. Prepare to meet many notable horses: the legendary Pegasus, the Trojan horse and Seabiscuit, as well as a suite of new horse friends.
In Horses, Elf Lyons (spoiler: not actually a horse) is truly in her element. A brilliant physical performer and master of Bouffon mime, trained under master clown Philippe Gaulier, she deftly balances the macabre with the extremely silly. Featuring a medley of movement, short vignettes and narration – she is unlike anything else you’ll see at the Comedy Festival, and is in a league all of her own.
This show features a fair amount of audience participation – nervous attendees may prefer to sit a few rows back, but don’t go too far. To each guest singled out she asks: “Would you like to play with me?” Play is the central theme of the show. Beneath the guise of a woman pretending to be a horse is a reflection on growing up, losing innocence and forgetting the joy of play.
Reactions to Horses will vary widely. You need to get onboard pretty early with the spirit of play and a large amount of mime. This reviewer witnessed a range of reactions: from hysterical joy to blatant confusion and, perhaps most notably, more than one person moved to tears by the show’s ending (no spoilers here, but it will have different impacts depending on the enthusiasm of the crowd on the night).
Read: Comedy reviews: Lou Wall: Breaking the Fifth Wall, Eddie Pattison: Dad Genes, MICF 2025
For any fans of Lyon’s last run at MICF with her brilliant horror-themed show, Raven (which garnered five stars from this reviewer) the rapid-fire and quickly pivoting structure of Horses is less strong, but her genius is just as apparent. One thing is for sure – with Lyons, you’ll never know what to expect. We’ll be looking out for her future projects with great anticipation.
Elf Lyons: Horses will be performed at Malthouse Theatre until 15 April 2025 as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF 2025).
