Ari Eldjarn brings Danish jokes to Copenhagen’s Royal Theatre

Icelandic comedian Ari Eldjarn will perform at Copenhagen’s historic Royal Theatre on October 25, bringing his stand-up show to the largest venue on his European tour, mbl.is reports.

The theatre at King’s New Square seats 1,600 people. Most venues on Eldjarn’s tour hold 200 to 300, while some seat only 100. He said the number of tickets for the Royal Theatre show represents about 20 per cent of the tour.

Eldjarn said he had previously performed at more conventional comedy venues in Copenhagen, including Bremen Teater and the concert hall at Denmark’s national broadcaster, DR. He and his team decided to try renting the Royal Theatre, which he described as a beautiful old opera house.

He said he had once hesitated to perform in Denmark, but has returned several times in recent years. He credited the large Icelandic community in the country and the warm reception for his Netflix special, Pardon My Icelandic. The show spends about 10 minutes discussing Danes, he said, adding that Danish audiences enjoy hearing about themselves.

This is Eldjarn’s third European tour, and this year he is performing in 16 cities across 13 countries. He said his material lands differently across the continent: Germans understand jokes about Danes, while in Belgium, jokes about the French tend to work well. In Britain, he adjusts his material to reflect differences such as accents between London and Brighton.