Top lunch at Katalin

Photo & © Kristina Djerf

Photo & © Kristina Djerf

“Top lunch” is the name of show that has been played at Katalin in Uppsala in April, and that’s exactly what it is. A one hour lunch cabaret which easily could have been a full-length performance. So funny, so stylish and so professional.

The doors open about half an hour before the show starts, and when you have been seated you just lift the lid off the soup pot and help yourself. Those who are observant may spot a bar where you can buy other kind of drinks, and it would have been desirable that the information was given to all visitors. But that’s a detail in this context. Beside every plate is a printed program, but not containing the usual presentation of the participants, but recipie instead. A funny start!

At 12pm Jacke Sjödin’s voice streams from the speakers, and pianist Mikael Skoglund enters the stage. The rest of the ensemble enters from behind, where the audience went in, and led by Helen they parade between the tables and onto the stage.

And then we are served one number after another in a fast pace, one funnier than the other, and most of them with Jacke Sjödin’s incredibly crafty word sprains as a base. Jacke reads a rhymed poem, the recipe for the soup is sung and played by all in the ensemble, and a moment later a number that is smoking hot at each performance – Jacke writes a new text every morning, based on what he has read in today’s paper; impressive both in creativity and quick thinking!

Then Jacke borrows the program sheet of a woman in the audience and takes the opportunity to flirt a bit with her and inquire about where she lives and what she’s working with. On the back of the program is a lyric so the audience can join in and sing along, before Helen gives us a funny monologue and then sings a more fine-tuned song. But there is something missing after lunch, what is that? Jacke asks the woman in the audience. Coffee, of course, and the ensemble sings to the serving staff who brings out filled thermoses.

After a 60 second pause the second act begins finely cultural with Andreas Nilsson singing Bellman, the lyrics visually portrayed by Helen and Jacke. Jacke then takes over, trying to explain what happened one day when he was going into town, but Andreas doesn’t understand anything so Helen gives a helping hand and interpreters. The woman who Jacke talked to earlier is involved now and then in the text, and she is mentioned in another couple of numbers too, later on in the show.
Helen sings again, Andreas tries out an idea for a quiz in a literally death-defying way, Jacke reads a short poem and sings all of Evert Taube’s songs at the same time. Then, a performance that cannot be described in words when a newly created and very unexpected duet makes the audience double over and cry with laughter!

The show is nearing its end, but first there has to be time for the history of the world, which also is very entertaining, with clever use of props and further screwed visual representations. The last number is a farewell song where Helen rocks on electric bass!

This is a show that must be experienced, a description doesn’t do it justice at all. Jacke Sjödin’s uncontrollably smart lyrics and rhymes, Andreas Nilsson’s unbeatable voice twists, Mikael Skoglund’s timed piano accompaniment, and Helen’s beautiful and crazy antics. It’s to be hoped that at some point there will be a da capo!

Kristina Djerf

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