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Promotional art for Big, Small Town Kid
Cover image credit: Promotional image via Prime Video

Big, Small Town Kid

Arnór Daði

Stand Up! Records · 2021 · 70 min

Small-town Icelandic isolation makes for wonderfully awkward stand-up.

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Arnór Daði has an awkward, self-deprecating charm that works perfectly for a comic who grew up in Hauganes, a tiny Icelandic fishing village of 150 people. The hook of Big, Small Town Kid is how that hyper-specific, isolated upbringing translates into the anxieties of adulthood, fatherhood, and a surprisingly deep obsession with The Real Housewives.

The special was recorded live at The Secret Cellar in Reykjavík, Iceland, just shy of the Arctic Circle, and released in late 2021 by Stand Up! Records. It arrived after Daði won three awards at the 2020 Reykjavík Fringe Festival, capitalizing on a growing momentum that saw him transition from film school student to a core fixture of Iceland’s English-language comedy scene.

Daði’s bits range from the sheer bewilderment of having a baby right before a global lockdown to trying to buy skincare drugs from a bald dermatologist. He spends plenty of time on “bathroom math,” but the high point of the set is his story about a goose, the 151st resident of his hometown, who managed to completely captivate his small village. It is a dry, charmingly clumsy debut that avoids the standard high-energy swagger of American club comedy, leaning instead into the quiet, slightly warped perspective of a kid who did not know what alcohol was until his twelves.

The set list

7 bits

  1. Goosey the Goose

    Recounting the highlight of his childhood in a 150-person village when an escaped farm goose named Goosey lived in town for the summer of 2003.

  2. A second pandemic baby and frisbee counting

    Debating with his wife about having another baby during the pandemic while living in a garage apartment, contrasting with their irreconcilable differences over counting frisbees.

  3. My Mom Buys Me Clothes

    Detailing how his mother still buys his clothes in an Ed Hardy/Mexican wrestler aesthetic, including an awkward purchase of unwrapped silk underwear.

  4. Mean Teacher

    Executing a long-delayed revenge plot against a mean teacher from his childhood years later.

  5. Prescription Propecia / Dangerous Drug

    Highlighting the absurdity and comedic difficulty involved in obtaining prescription Propecia.

  6. Tinder is Weird

    An opening routine exploring modern dating and the oddities of using Tinder.

  7. By Kevin Spacey

    A topical comedic bit regarding Kevin Spacey.

How it plays

Tone
Absurd, self-deprecating, warm, and playful.
On stage
Described as possessing an 'irresistible clumsy charm' and 'awkward charm' mixed with deadpan self-deprecation, glimmers of childish mischievousness, and an open-faced demeanor.
Pace
Easy stage presence coupled with quiet confidence.
About
Small-town Icelandic upbringing, Parenthood and new fatherhood, Pandemic family life, Absurdist personal anecdotes, Marriage and relationships

What the critics said

The Serious Comedy Site praised it as a fun, original release covering diverse comedic ground beyond standard biographical stand-up, recommending it for fans of absurd comedy. The Reykjavík Grapevine commended his easy stage presence and awkward charm.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.kinorium.com, theseriouscomedysite.com, imdb.com, allmusic.com, grapevine.is, music.apple.com.

Backstory

Raised in the small northern Icelandic village of Hauganes (population 150), he moved to Reykjavík under the guise of attending film school to pursue comedy. The special reflects on his childhood, entering parenthood, and living in a garage apartment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Details

Released
Taped
The Secret Cellar, Reykjavík
Runtime
70 min
Where
Stand Up! Records
Honors
Inaugural Grapevine Fringe Award (2020)Three awards at The Reykjavík Fringe Festival (2020)
Topics

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