Adam Schjølberg is known from a lot. You can choose between saying you remember him from “71 degrees north”, “Sofa”, “Homsepatruljen”, “Beat for Beat”, or from his first stand-up show “Mellom barken og feen” which ran on Latter in 2018. Even I remember him best from the show “Adam puts the cupboard in place”. Because it was last night. Traditional form In the intimate Teaterkjeller’n under the Oslo Nye Teater, Schjølberg premiered his second solo performance. This time, Terje Sporsem has treated the director-ropert. When Schjølberg confidently waltzes onto the stage, impeccably dressed in high-heeled shoes that shine like two fiery red Corvettes towards the friendly premiere audience, it is like a seasoned comedian. The form is highly traditional: fast and intense speech that lands on quick points. As in his first performance, life as an openly gay person is an important part of the material, with extra emphasis on general prejudices and stereotypes against gay men and others in queer environments. HIGH HEELS: Comedian Adam Schjølberg. Photo: Oslo Nye Teater Clear profile In advance, we have been promised a performance that will deal with what it is like to be “forty, fifty and a man”. The first, careful jokes, where the main character touches and feels a little on the audience, show a relaxed and confident comedian who has found his form and who will probably never deviate from it. Schjølberg has a clear profile both off and on stage, and he knows that his audience devours his persona raw – here it is the sultry and feminine side that rules. The unexpected works best In the opening part, Schjølberg fires off his best volleys. For example, the role reversal in the situation where heterosexuals meet homosexuals: And when it is made clear who is not welcome at tonight’s performance (Kari Jaquesson, Chechnya and the angry smoking lady from SIAN who stands and shouts “Norway for Norwegians”). A bit of careful conversation with the audience serves as a transition into one of the few genre-breaking inventions: Pre-written “pussy jokes” to calm the heterosexuals in the hall when it gets too hot. Adam chooses a victim, in this case Håkon, who at various points in the show is presented with a typical “hetero joke” in which there is a bit of a classic guy atmosphere. Typical: “What’s the difference between a blonde and slippers? Both are warm and easy to slip into.” Such unexpected breaks that break with the classic stand-up format are welcome when the overall form is so well known. Well-written, but well-known Later in the performance, Schjølberg also subjects Håkon to the game show “Will you come out of the closet?”, forged over the same read as “Will you become a millionaire?”. This is yet another genre-challenging move, which could have benefited from being played out and utilized even more to increase the variety in the set. In essence, this is a sometimes very well-written, but nevertheless well-known affair. Although many of the jokes are of high quality, there is little here that leaves you with the feeling of a new experience as a stand-up audience. But some of the material still has a little extra tabasco in the mix. Fresh perspective Much of the value in the performance lies in the refreshing perspective from a gay comedian. When you gradually get used to the fact that the world’s most popular comedians are straight men (Ricky Gervais, Louis CK, Jimmy Carr) who fight tooth and nail for their right to more or less tactfully joke about queers and other vulnerable groups, is it nice to hear Schjølberg’s well-formulated points about the heteronormative. He has a good hand with text, and is intelligent and ambitious in writing jokes. That’s why I’m also convinced that Adam Schjølberg is innovative enough to challenge the format he operates in. Too safe The joke density is high and occasionally sexually crammed. Between sharp and innovative ideas, there are more than enough flat innuendos that don’t really measure up, but which almost automatically arouse laughter thanks to a formulaic execution. It is clear that the audience is trained to hear the melody in jokes and know when to laugh. It mostly suggests that the delivery and form are so well-known that it sometimes just crashes and goes on autopilot – both on stage and in the hall. With a more curious and challenging approach to the stand-up format, Adam Schjølberg can really take the leap with his next performance, because lyrically he is sometimes brilliant and his perspective is rather unique. He is fearless, intelligent and full of potential – but so far a little too confident. news reviews Photo: Oslo Nye Teater Title: “Adam sets the cabinet in place” By: Adam Schjølberg What: Humor show Place: Teaterkjelleren, Oslo Nye Teater Date: 8 September – 17 November 2022
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“Adam Schjølberg – Adam puts the cupboard in place” – Reviews and recommendations
