SoHo Playhouse Fringe Encore Series – Aussies Descend on NYC and a One-on-One with Elouise Eftos – by Sarah Wadsley

The SoHo Playhouse has scoured the world to bring a variety of acts from different Fringe festivals to NYC for a special Encore series. Their mission is to provide promising emerging artists with an Off-Broadway run and a jumping-off point for future success. From plays and parodies to music and stand-up, there’s something for everyone. I went along to witness the wave of Australian comedians descending on Manhattan.

Tom Cashman is best known for hosting Taskmaster Australia. His set, titled 2 Truths, 1 Lie & 17 Slight Exaggerations, was staged like a PowerPoint presentation, complete with a clicker and slides that emphasized his punchlines. I thoroughly enjoyed his style and humor, and the show had a great flow from start to finish. It was relatable and very funny. I could easily have watched another hour, and I will be looking out for his stand-up in the future.

Tom Cashman at SoHo International Fringe Encore//Credit: David Gibbs

Josh Glanc (pronounced “Glance”) works more on the silly side, with random interactions, repeated bits, and self-written songs that invite you to embrace the ridiculous, including the title number Family Man. Be warned: the song will get stuck in your head, but you probably won’t mind. I enjoyed his set for breaking out of the typical formula for stand-up routines, and the back-and-forth with his onstage pianist was highly entertaining.

Josh Glanc at SoHo International Fringe Encore//Credit: David Gibbs

And then there was Elouise Eftos, the only female comedian we saw. Australia’s First Attractive Comedian has proven divisive because the tagline is often taken out of context, and both fellow comedians and celebrities have used it against her, something Elouise addresses within the set itself. But when you see the show in person, I think the message is clear: why should we make ourselves small so that others may feel more comfortable? And why would women want to stop other women from loving themselves?

Elouise’s show distances itself from the typical Aussie style of self-deprecation and instead delivers a sexy and confident package, definitely appetizing to American audiences, but with a better accent. It’s brave, provocative, and full of laughs. Standout moments included her slow-motion daydream trick and her incredible robotic dance finale, complete with smoking nipples. I sat down with Elouise earlier in the day to learn a bit more about her and how her show came to life.

A second-generation Greek Macedonian, Elouise grew up in Perth, Western Australia, singing and dancing from a young age. Starting out as an actor, she studied at the Stella Adler Institute in NYC in 2015 before realizing she had a knack for comedy.

“Something about being here at that age just ignited a fire inside me.”

Her onstage character is a gorgeous, self-assured woman who knows what she’s got going on.

“I wanted to make my act almost annoyingly good at everything, so that you almost love to hate her.”

She struts about the stage in a mini dress and heels, twirling her hair and wrapping the audience around her finger. She is not afraid to embrace her good looks and does not minimize her achievements or her vast array of skills.

Elouise told me that growing up, the idea of being a comedian wasn’t really an option.

“I was always really intrigued by comedy. I grew up watching Seinfeld, Kath and Kim, French and Saunders, old-school British, Aussie, and American comedy. But you’re like, I don’t think I could ever do that.”

Even as a little girl she didn’t tell people she wanted to do it. It’s not something that is usually encouraged, so she didn’t think it was possible.

The idea for her show was born when she was emceeing a burlesque cabaret. She would wear sexy clothes and put on this persona with the attitude of “you can’t touch us up here,” and began writing more ideas for the character every night. She said comedians such as Natasha Leggero, who is known for doing high-status stand-up, inspired her to start performing comedy without putting herself down in the process.

Elouise Eftos at SoHo International Fringe Encore//Credit: David Gibbs

But “a lot of comedians didn’t like it,” and she often thought about quitting.

“Especially in Australia, tall poppy syndrome is bad.”

People didn’t realize she was putting on a character.

“I’m joking, obviously. You’re at a comedy show. But people in the audience would be like, ‘Who the f@#$ do you think you are?!’”

So she made a show about the backlash.

“Just me taking the piss about what happens when a woman goes on stage and says she’s hot and smart and funny. And why do people get so upset about it?”

Audiences have lapped it up. Elouise has sold out seasons throughout Australia and Scotland, won the “Best International” Award at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, and was nominated for “Best Newcomer” at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2025. Currently based in Sydney, she’s looking to move to New York or London next.

“Being in New York gives you that fire inside. If I want to do well at something, I have to be the best. And people who are the best come here.”

The first thing she looks for when she travels is an Aussie café or any place with good coffee, plus a nice massage spot to remedy the aches and pains that come with dancing on stage.

When asked about NYC, she said it’s her favorite city in the world.

“You can literally walk anywhere, and you feel like you’re discovering something new wherever you go. It’s so special. There’s a pulse that runs through the city that just makes you feel alive.”

A reminder that we are all so lucky to be here, surrounded by so much culture, art, and opportunity.

“This city makes you hungry. You really do feel like things can happen here, and I think that’s really exciting.”

The best advice she’s ever been given is simple: keep going.

“Especially when it comes from people in the industry, men or women, at a certain level. ‘You’re doing something right.’ And also, ‘Don’t listen to the bullshit,’ which is such a cliché, but it’s true. On stage I have this heightened version of me, this persona, and she’s very confident, sort of like ‘I don’t give a fuck,’ but of course I do.”

Offstage, Elouise is quite sensitive and struggles with anxiety, something she thinks would surprise people because she hides it when performing. She tries not to let the negative voices take over.

“If people don’t like what I’m doing, it says more about them. I’m wrong-footing the audience.”

The highlight of her tour has been meeting people from all over the world.

“What has been so lovely is hearing people from the UK and the US say they’ve never seen comedy like this before. Whereas in Australia, for a long time I felt like no one gets what I do or likes what I do.”

Occasionally it’s a challenge to keep up the persona, and she still battles the little voice in her head saying, “That’s not nice.”

“But if I was a man, I wouldn’t think that.”

And that’s why she channels a woman with audacious aplomb.

“Why can’t women be these multifaceted people? If we’re not, we’re not human.”

She enjoys the opportunity to live inside her character while on stage.

“I think as women we’re conditioned to constantly be people pleasers and put ourselves down to make other people feel more comfortable. So it feels really powerful and empowering to be confident on stage.”

Elouise says her audience is primarily “the girls and the gays,” but she has even had straight men approach her afterward to say they get it and that they’re feminists now. Because of her.

When I asked who she’d invite to the show, dead or alive, her response was immediate.

“Joan Rivers would be amazing. I feel like she’d get it. And Natasha Leggero. They’d probably understand the subject matter and how it feels. I hope they’d enjoy it.”

Australia’s First Attractive Comedian is boldly going where no stand-up that I’ve seen has gone before. It’s fresh, thought-provoking, and may change how you view other women, as well as yourself.

In Elouise’s own words, the show is “sexy, silly feminist comedy.”

“I hope that people come and feel empowered.”

The Fringe Encore series runs until the end of March at the SoHo Playhouse.