Tell us about your style of comedy.
I’m trying to get a catchphrase going: Do you like silly? Because that’s what I aim for, just plain silliness. I’m trying to veer from more straight stand-up into clowny, alternative, silly stuff. It’s clever, I make my own props that are way too time consuming.
At the moment, I’m interested in talking about mental health, as I’m building my neurodivergence show.
Last show I did, I made a grown man spill his drink in his lap, laughing. I thought he’d pissed himself, which would have made for a better story, but I’m still quite proud.
If you’ve got 15 minutes to spare, you can see some of the silliness here.
How did you get into comedy?
Comedy was my obsession for a long, long time before I started doing it. I don’t remember when or how my interest started, but I realised one day that I was so deep into open mics, podcasts, panel shows, festivals, that I just couldn’t justify not getting up on stage anymore.
Sara Pascoe was the first comedian I saw where I thought “someone like me can do comedy”, and I knew that she started when she was 27. So as I approached my 27th birthday, I thought, well, now’s the time.
What is your favourite joke you’ve ever been told?
Trickle-down economics.
What is the best piece of comedy advice you have ever been given?
The piece of advice that I’ve heard is genuinely just “get on stage”. Just do it. Especially as I was just starting out. My intense research about the act of doing comedy, where the more experienced comedians said to just get stage time, was something I really took to heart and focused on. It’s the best way to learn.
Who is your favourite comedian we’ve never heard of?
My stepdaughter. A few years ago, as she was leaving the house, she said “see you never”, which is a classic sassy zinger, showing she understands dry sarcasm. I told her that that would make me sad, that I did want her to come back. She looks me in the eye, and starts singing “LET IT GO, LET IT GOOOO”. Comedic genius right there.
What challenges have you faced working in comedy?
The work part. Being an alternative, female, English language comedian in Copenhagen (where I started out) and Reykjavik (where I’m now based) doesn’t lend itself to anything like a career. At the moment, comedy is something I sprinkle on top of daily life with a full time job and generally trying to stay sane.
That and internal motivation.
What do you hope people take away from your shows?
I sometimes think of my shows as a “show not tell” about what’s going on inside my head. When I struggle to connect with people, and feel like an outsider, I use my comedy to invite people into my world. My aim, as I become a better comedian, is to spark awe and inspiration, the same way that I feel with my comedy heroes. I’d want my show to feel like Eurovision.
For now, I want to tickle the inside of your tummy while I teach you about obscure philosophical concepts and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder.
What advice do you have for anyone hoping to get into comedy?
Remember that you get to decide what hard work is for you. It’s easy to get in a mindset of worshipping the grind, thinking you have to do this and that to be a “proper comedian”. But, be realistic about what and when you can create and perform.
If you’re in a good place mentally and physically when you write and go on stage, if you do this because you want to, not because you think you have to, you’ll be a better comedian, or at least you’ll enjoy yourself more.
Try to travel and meet people if you can, seek out those artists that inspire you. Try a lot of things, style and material-wise. If an idea makes you giggle, or tickles something in you, go with that.
Mette is performing at Blizzard on Monday 13th May. Book your free ticket here.
You can also keep up with her work by following her on Instagram.
Blizzard Comedy 