Ten years ago I was celebrating at a work function with my colleagues out in Iceland – the company had hit a big number when it comes to years in service and so an epic party was had. Amongst all the festivities and drinking there was a post-dinner surprise – an Icelandic comedian was on his way from Reykjavik to provide us with some local comedy. That was when I was first introduced to Ari Eldjarn.

Fast forward to now and he’s speaking to me on a video call from a cafe in Oslo before he kicks off his European tour, and I remind the comedian of that night.

“I remember that night very well – it was crazy because I had done a run of six gigs and I had to head all the way out to Hotel Ranga to perform for you guys, then head all the way back to Reykjavik to do a final gig around midnight‘, Ari reflects. ‘Its not something I would recommend – I was exhausted after that.”

In 2021 we had briefly crossed paths again, at an online Nordic film club that was discussing Ari’s own Netflix stand up show that had recently been released, ‘Pardon My Icelandic‘ – which really is a must for Nordic fans.

Here we are in 2024 and the Icelandic comedian is on tour and after some stints in Norway, he will be arriving to UK shores this month.

“This is my first time touring the UK. I did a run at Soho theatre in London and then visited Edinburgh a couple of times for some shows but this is my first official tour in the country and I am super excited for it.”

The UK isn’t too unfamiliar to him as he lived here as a kid and as a student, making it a home away from home. One particular place he is looking forward to visiting is Brighton when he performs at Komedia (which is where we will be seeing him).

“I have never been to this city and my management is from there so I am really looking forward to that show. All I have for reference is Quadrophenia which they used to show on the English channels over in Iceland when I was growing up“.

Whilst the days of Quadrophenia might well have passed, Brighton is still a very lively city much like Reykjavik.

“In my mind Brighton is where you go to riot“, he jokes. “I remember growing up in Reykjavik, when I started my drinking career in the city everywhere used to close at 3am and people would just drink in the street and fight – it was very chaotic with very small townish behaviour.”

The capital city has changed a bit since those days – now there are all the tourist bars and everyone is polite.

With Ari having done a number of shows to his native audience in Iceland I wonder whether he has to prepare and adjust his sketches for a British audience.

“The challenge is always with translating the material to make sure it actually works in English. Comedians, like myself, tend to be a bit lazy and use local places as references”, he explains, “but I grew up with so much British television, which has always helped“.

In fact his supreme knowledge of Taggart, which he shared on a local radio station when he visited Edinburgh for the first time, was a hit: “I won over that audience“.

Fifteen years ago Ari came to the UK to do open mic nights and explains how he just tried anything to see how he could connect with the audience, this included an impression of Morrissey singing ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’. I can confirm, as he promptly shared this impression with me over the call, that it is very impressive.

So how did it all start for Ari in his journey to becoming a comedian and who were some of his influences when he was growing up?

“After the financial crash in Iceland, which hit us all really hard and the country was in a pretty depressed state, my friends decided to do some free comedy in a bar. There was no comedy scene at the time and they had very little idea how to do it but they discovered a market for it – people wanted to laugh and escape the reality of that winter. That was when I started.”

When it comes to influences from the UK Ari was a big fan of Eddie Izzard and in a bizarre twist of fate it turns out his manager today was Eddie’s tour promoter and he finally got to briefly meet his idol.

“There were two Eddie’s – Eddie Izzard and then Eddie Murphy. With Eddie Murphy it was when his first VHS stand up went global and it was huge in Iceland. And I think one of my biggest ah-ha moments was watching Eddie Izzard doing the Noah’s Ark sketch.”

Naturally we fall into a discussion about our love for Beverly Hills Cop and both share fondness for the scene in which Axel Foley sticks a banana up someone’s exhaust – such simple comedy that still makes us laugh so many years later (and Ari’s re-enactment is very impressive).

What about film and TV? Has Ari ever considered delving into that world at all?

“I have done a few things here and there but it has never been something that I considered doing, standing in front of a camera, so I kind of fell into stand up comedy. I had an ambition to direct and be behind the camera, and there has always been the writing perspective as well.”

Ari is working on an Icelandic docu-series about Icelandic movies from the 80s-90s which has been fun as it involves revisiting lots of the things he watched when growing up and getting to interview some of the people who made them. Something we will certainly keep an eye out for.

But what about working with any directors; who would be his dream collaboration when it comes to Icelandic directors? Maybe Ari in a action film like the brilliant Cop Secret?

“Oh wow you know your stuff, I know those guys and they are great. I think people were so obsessed with the fact that the Icelandic International goal keeper had directed a spoof Icelandic action film. He would be great to work with!“

We wrap up our conversation discussing what he has been watching recently, with Ari highlighting his love for Succession (“I would love to work with with Simon Armstrong”) and also the very popular Norwegian series Exit (which we are still waiting to actually see in the UK, if it ever materialises).

As we conclude our conversation, Ari is buzzing with excitement and ready to take on the stage in Oslo, setting the pace for a tour that promises laughter across Denmark, Stockholm, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

See Ari Eldjárn in his debut UK tour ‘Return Of The Icelandic’, kicking off at London’s Soho Theatre this April. Tickets available at: https://www.mickperrin.com/tours/ari-eldjarn-return-of-the-icelandic/  and if you come along to the Brighton show, come and say hello!