Ari Eldjárn: Eagle Fire Iron (4 stars)

Ari Eldjárn: Eagle Fire Iron

An engaging and laugh-filled hour about Iceland and beyond

Ari Eldjárn is from Reykjavik, the city that never sleeps (except on weekdays), where he's a huge star. An hour of sharp, smart gags in his brand new show hints at the fact that he's well on his way to becoming just as big outside of his home country. The bulk of Eldjárn's material trades on the uniqueness of Iceland, a country which has a population of just over 300,000 people, a number that's significantly smaller than the population of Edinburgh.

There are jokes about the literalness of the Icelandic language, the monopoly certain companies have in such a small economy and the impact that has on advertising, and the common status of the country's president. He trades on the differences between Icelanders and their European brethren, allowing Eldjárn an opportunity to showcase his considerable talent for accents.

It's not all about Iceland, though, and Eldjárn throws in some smart, original observations around everything from orchestra conductors to fatherhood. This material proves he can work with topics outside of his Icelandic hook, and he kept the audience engaged and chuckling for the full hour-long set. You might struggle to pronounce it, but Ari Eldjárn is definitely a name to keep an eye on.

Monkey Barrel, until 25 Aug (not 12), 7.30pm, £8 (£7) in advance or donations at the venue.

Ari Eldjárn: Eagle Fire Iron

  • 4 stars

Monkey Barrel in association with Mick Perrin Worldwide Management As seen on Mock the Week. Iceland's biggest comedian returns to the Fringe after sold-out debut runs in Edinburgh, Melbourne and the Soho Theatre. With multiple accents, voices and a stubborn determination to translate Icelandic material into fluent…

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