Iceland may not be known for its heat, but this Scandi is wonderfully warming. He’s charismatic, charming and undeniably funny for this hour of wholesome stand up.
Lockdown content is already becoming overplayed but hearing about a country that handled it properly was as refreshing as it was amusing. An obsession with “winning Covid” created a hilarious social hierarchy between Pfizer and Moderna and vaccine halls that blared Limp Bizkit to calm people down. He takes this potentially tiresome subject and manages to make it a genuine highlight of this very nice show.
The blessing and curse of Eldjárn’s lockdown was the time he got to spend with his two young daughters. They created absolute unbearable forms of torture through their music taste but were also the greatest source of comedic material. His wonderful little terrors are already stars in the making that constantly overshadow Eldjárn with their impeccable comedic timing. He clearly adores his daughters, but they’ve made him realise the generational gap that’s becoming far more apparent now that he’s turned 40. Eldjárn fondly recalls the troubles with rotary phones and when watches were watches but he’s adapting with the times with an air of grace.
Eldjárn punctuates his really entertaining set with some brilliant characters and impressions. These range from the naïve American tourists who buy into the commerciality of the Blue Lagoon to his genuinely impressive tributes to his favourite band and first concert, Rage Against the Machine. Music is a massive part of Eldjárn’s life, and the musical skill he displays in this show is surprisingly impressive.
‘Saga Class’ is an incredibly humorous hour of great jokes hosted by a wonderful comedian. It may be a cliché to talk about comedy performed in a second language, but Eldjárn is so eloquent that it’s a non issue. He’s an absolute pro.
Ari Eldjárn: Saga Class
17:00 at Monkey Barrel Comedy (Venue 515)
August 24 – 28
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/ari-eldjarn-saga-class
