Laufey Haralds: Nordic Noir

By Ron Bingham

Laufey (pronounced something like hlofay from what I could tell) is from Iceland but lived in the UK for a couple of years before moving back this year. The show starts with Laufey displaying all the Scandinavian stereotypes, most of which she then punctures. Nordic Noir is partly a parody of the Scandi Crime genre (lost on me, I’m afraid) which consisted of short bursts of moody music and Laufey striking a pose and staring into the middle distance. She creates a thrilling crime story on stage that is all fun and inoffensive. The rest of the show was criticism of her fellow Scandinavian countrymen/women, with the occasional erotic poem for Greenland.

There were a few quiet moments but for much of the show it was entertaining and educational. I loved the stories about the cod wars, but refrained from mentioning the Goodies episode which is my total knowledge of this period of UK-Icelandic history. The show takes place in the attic of the Rose Theatre, which is four flights of stairs up, at a venue which is at the Haymarket end of Rose st, and a very long way from the other Gilded Balloon venues. I do wonder why she decided to come and perform a show in Edinburgh after leaving the UK, but I am glad she did. A must for fans of Scandi-crime porn or lovers of Scandinavia in general.

Nordic Noir is on at Gilded Balloon Rose Theatre until August 25
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/laufey-haralds-nordic-noir