November 29th, 2014

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It’s Crazy Christmas time again – and I am back! I have written, directed and appeared in the show every year since 1982, but last year I felt that I needed a break from being on stage.

I did not expect to receive so many distressed mails from people who missed my alter-ego, Dr van Helsingør from Elsinore. I created the Danish doctor in 1986 for my crazy version of ‘Dracula’, and he has appeared every year since.

Doctor’s back in the house
Of course, if I took a break, then he had to. I had forgotten he has 5,000 friends on Facebook and a group of devoted fans who come every year to see the show dressed up in his costume: deerstalker hat, red beard, glasses and tweed suit.

Originally I based the doctor on a Dane who spoke English well, but made hilarious mistakes. Thanks to a magazine called Anglophiles, he now has the chance to comment on our history together.

Here are some extracts from the interview

^{Catch up with Denmark’s answer to Sherlock Holmes at Tivoli until January 3}

Do you remember how we first met, Doctor? 
This I do. It was for many years ago. I said: “Good day, my name is Dr van Helsingør from Elsinore, but you can call me Bent.” And you said: “You’re bent.” Now those are the first words I say when I come on stage in your shows.

Yes, it was amusing because ‘bent’ has another meaning in English. 
I know. It means ‘not straight’. 

Well … it is often used as a slang word for ‘homosexual’. 
Holdt da kæft! Shut up!! I had no idea. Homosexual? Nåh! This is coming on me from behind!

I’m sorry, I thought you knew. Many English teachers do not like the way you speak English …
This do I not understand. I speak floatingly English. But you insist on funny translations. I said to The Dame (a man dressed as a woman) “Du nyder det in fulde drag,” – “You are enjoying it in full drag!” That was howlingly funny! And in your James Bond Show, I gave Bond some Danish gadgets to use: a bike to ride instead of his Aston Martin, a helmet with an aerial to pick up signals and, as a weapon, a ‘sausage for spies’ – ‘spegepølse’!

You are a private person, Doctor. Are you married? 
Ja! I live with Gurli. Vi samlejer … we same-rent. She is a nurse and we met at a julefrokost. We sang 50 verses of a song written to the melody of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. I asked her to kiss me under the mistletoe. She said she wouldn’t kiss me under anaesthetic! Ha! Hun er så fed … she is so fat!

What are you playing in this year’s show ‘One Eyed Willy’? 
I am a botanist with Charles Darwin on a science ship blown up by pirates in the Caribbean. It is kanon! Excuse me, I will come too late. It has been a forpleasuring Ms McKee to snak together. See you in Tivoli and ‘May the Hygge be with you!’