Alex Kjerulf at Lygten Station: How to Become Danish in One Hour

A month ago, my husband and I finally went to see How to Become Danish in One Hour at Lygten Station.

I’d been meaning to go for a while. I’ve seen the show pop up in the program more than once since I started the blog, and every time I thought: this is exactly the kind of thing I should experience properly.

Lygten Station is one of those venues that makes an evening feel easy. It’s small — maybe 40 or 50 seats — intimate without being cramped. Cheap beers, no fuss, close to home. The kind of place where you can decide at 18:00 that you want to do something and actually follow through.

The show itself was exactly what the title promises. Alex Kjerulf walks the audience through Danish stereotypes, habits, social codes, and contradictions — fast, sharp, and very funny.

What struck me most was how well it worked for everyone in the room.

For tourists, it’s probably a crash course in how Denmark is perceived: the trust, the “non-corrupt” image, the quiet social rules, the reserved friendliness. And maybe also a surprise to see a Danish person on stage who isn’t shy, who pokes fun at the culture openly.

For foreigners who live here (I’ve been here 10 years now), it’s almost therapeutic. It’s funny because it’s accurate. The way we see Denmark from the outside — sometimes still idealized, sometimes confused, often slightly naïve — is mirrored back to us. The jokes land because they feel lived-in.

And for Danes in the audience, I imagine it must be interesting in a different way. To hear, condensed into one hour, how the country looks from the outside. The stereotypes. The admiration. The small cultural shocks. It’s rare to get that perspective served back to you so clearly — and so kindly.

That’s probably what I liked most about it. The show isn’t mean (except to the Swedes of course!). It’s not bitter. It’s observational and playful. It feels like someone who understands both the inside and the outside, and is comfortable standing in between. I felt very seen!

And honestly, beyond the cultural reflection, it was just a good evening. A cozy venue. A solid performance. A reminder that you don’t need a huge plan or a big budget to have a night out in Nordvest.

If you ever don’t know what to do on an evening, check what’s on at Lygten Station. Comedy. Concerts. Small events. It’s right there — and it’s easy.