Nije smešno, Žarko

It’s not funny, Žarko is a story about… well, surprisingly—but about a man named Žarko. Žarko very, very much wants to become a stand-up comedian and make the audience laugh, but his wife Marta believes his jokes are harsh, scary, and not funny at all. Although she still supports her beloved husband in developing his stand-up material, Marta secretly hires a problematic psychotherapist, Nataša, to both motivate him to persist and occasionally censor his humor. The manipulative Nataša succeeds in this… to some extent. Unfortunately for our characters—and to the audience’s delight—this creates the most bizarre and toxic love triangle the stage has ever seen. This unusual mix of situational comedy and stand-up comedy delivers over an hour of refreshing entertainment, as well as exciting themes and questions that will spark heated discussions after the performance. Jerry Seinfeld and Louis C.K. are successful American stand-up comedians who also have successful TV series. Srđan Olman is a successful regional stand-up comedian who has… a theatre play. He hasn’t yet secured the budget for a series. Nevertheless, together with the experienced and charming actresses Bojana Grabovac (Andrija and Anđelka, In Laws) and Tamara Belošević (Emergency Center, In Laws), and with the support of the text and direction by Staša Koprivica (Hotel 88, Don’t Bet on the English, It’s Being Talked About Around Town), Olman skillfully walks the fine line between stand-up and drama.