Húrra hosted the first-ever Smokey Bay Comedy show Friday night, featuring headliner Arnór Daði and several other prominent comedians performing in English.
While comedians Gísli Jóhann, Emily Pitts, Þórhallur Þórhallson, and Hugleikur Dagsson were all a hit in their respective styles, the real show-stopping moment occurred after the intermission. A verbal fight broke out between members in the first row and second row of the audience when host Mauricio Villavizar tried to transition to the next act.
Mauricio, an excellent host and comedian in his own right, wasn’t sure what to say as he watched the scene escalate with sharp Icelandic and several audience members flipping off those around them. It was uncomfortable to say the least, but Mauricio handled it like a champ despite the palpable discomfort throughout the rest of the audience.
Arnór, who took the stage right after the fight, wasn’t aware of what happened as he had been waiting in the green room. He’s a clever comedian with his own stand-up special, “Big, Small Town Kid,” and he didn’t get a fair shot at making this audience laugh. As he performed his set, the entire front row emptied out one person at a time, presumably to gather their wits in the bar area. Needless to say, that’s not the type of audience you hope for as a comedian.
The Smokey Bay Comedy group will be performing again in September at a date to be announced, hopefully with a more docile audience. Kudos to the performers and the members of the audience who stayed respectful throughout.
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