Strange as it may seem, a Russian stand-up comic is currently doing a series of English-language shows around Croatia, and is coming to Zagreb this Sunday, August 25. After dates in Veli Lošinj, Rijeka and Pula, Igor Meerson is halfway through his whistle-stop tour with fellow comic, American Maureen Langan, each performance MC’d by Croatia’s own Marina Orsag.
The troupe rolls into Ljubljana tonight, August 22, then takes to the Istrian hills to visit the artists’ community of Grožnjan on Friday, August 23, before coming to the capital.
Their show this Sunday at Rougemarin Park starts at 9pm and admission is free.
“Croatia has been treating me really well,” begins Igor when Time Out Croatia caught up with him backstage at the Palach Klub in Rijeka. He is also under no illusions about the juxtaposition of his endeavour given the current climate.
“It’s not funny to be Russian any more,” says Igor. “In fact, it wasn’t so easy after 2014.”
The initial Russian invasion of Ukraine came a year after this likeable 41-year-old from St Petersburg started working in English, having been successful in TV, film and radio in his native Russia.
Making his Edinburgh debut in 2014, the first of several visits including ten days this summer, Igor later appeared at London’s Soho Theatre and at comedy festivals around the world from Johannesburg to Melbourne.
“From year to year, it has become more difficult and more demanding,” admits Igor. Now based in London, Igor has spent much of the recent tumultuous period in Montenegro, where he gives his shows in Russian.
“My Russian act had to change 100%,” he says, referring to the fact that exiled Russians had gone through similar experiences to himself. “In English, those first minutes are not so easy. I like to break the ice with something universal, something we can all relate to. I like to show that we can still be understandable to each other.”
Even so, it’s often tricky to gauge the audience. “I’m very European but I’m still not sure where the boundaries are,” he says, stressing that there’s nothing too risky in his English-language act. “I think twice about what to put in, and this might change from day to day.”
After Croatia, Igor heads to Baku for Russian-language dates in Azerbajian, before returning to Montenegro.
As for Sunday’s Zagreb show, he refers to Maureen and Marina as his ‘comedy family’, one that dates back to a festival in Montreux, Switzerland, several years ago. “It’ll be a mix of personal and universal experiences,” concludes Igor, delighted to share the spotlight with an award-winning American comedian.
Stand-up Comedy in English presented by Studio Smijeha at Rougemarin Park, Zagreb. Sunday, August 25, 9pm. Running time 90 minutes. Admission free. Reserve a seat and table at ulaznice@studiosmijeha.hr.