It’s no secret to Scotland that Daniel Sloss is brilliant.
[star rating =5/5]
His opening night at the Edinburgh Playhouse was electric. The comedian blazed his way through an inferno of jokes that tackle toxic masculinity to people’s dark inner monologue.
Sloss and his good friend and fellow comedian Kai Humphries kept the entire venue in stitches.
Humphries was the opening act and was hilarious. He was that brilliant that you can’t help but wish he had his own Fringe show. As an opening act you could not wish for better.
Humphries won the audience within a few seconds of being on-stage. He is certainly a comedian to keep an eye out for in the future if he decides to have his own show.
After his performance he releases a serious disclaimer to the audience about the headline event, Daniel Sloss. The warning was well warranted – this show is not for the easily offended.
In a brutal and hilariously dark fashion Sloss challenges the social norms of men and women’s ‘roles’ in society and turns them on their head, exposing the ludicrous nature of toxic masculinity.
This is only one topic out of many that the Netflix star addresses during his set.
Sloss’s comedic genius is his ability to talk about sensitive topics with ease.
What I love about Sloss’s performances is that he always has a segment at the end of his shows which last around 10 minutes where he will discuss a topic in a Ted Talk fashion. He uses a unique comic approach, which still creates relevant discussion and isn’t just seeking out a cheap punchline.
Sloss chooses to talk about the #MeToo movement and his own personal experiences with his female friends being subjected to sexual assault. This segment of the show is unquestionably the most important.
During this section, Sloss proved himself to be a comedian with the added value of being able to tackle important issues, and with the personal and professional maturity to handle the topic correctly.
This is what, in my opinion, sets Sloss apart from other comedians. He doesn’t do mindless comedy. His comedy often has the purpose of provoking discussion. He has the ability to gain the audience’s attention from jokes, then hold that attention to discuss important matters at the end of the show, in a fresh and innovative way that really makes his performances unique.
By far Daniel Sloss is the best comedian I have seen at the Fringe so far – this performance is funny, thought provoking and just sheer brilliance that deserves to be seen and listened to.
