With regular TV appearances and eight consecutive sold out seasons at the Edinburgh Fringe under his belt, Daniel Sloss is no stranger to the comedy circuit. At 25, it’s remarkable how much he has already accomplished though once you’ve seen him in action, you can totally see why.
It is his first time performing in New Zealand and I certainly hope it won’t be his last. Dark is essentially about Sloss himself – his travels, his opinions (there are a lot of them) and most notably his early years before he became a comedian. His family play an integral role in the narrative particularly his extremely brainy and liberal parents who provide a good source of comedy.
Sloss takes to the stage with a confidence and swagger that is well beyond his years. This could be seen as a little cocky – which he openly admits and proudly embraces – yet he promptly proves that he can walk the talk. From the word go he had us hooked and hanging on to his every word.
His material is skillfully constructed with superbly timed, pitch-perfect jokes that hit the nail on the head every time. He has a sharp wit and innate comedic sense which is second to none. There is also a physicality which he brings, particularly with his facial expressions, that add another layer of amusement to the show.
Sloss’ greatest strength is his ability to, put simply, tell a good story. Each anecdote segues smoothly to the next with every little detail having a purpose and placed strategically to build up to a pivotal point in the narrative. The scene in this moment was orchestrated and set up so brilliantly that even when it took an unexpected turn, it did not significantly affect the energy or mood of the show.
While there is certainly a lot to laugh about, there is also a lot of depth to the show. Sloss has some strong, contentious views which may rub people the wrong way but if you just take them at face value, the underlying message he is trying to impart actually holds a lot of wisdom and truth.
There’s absolutely no doubt about it – Daniel Sloss was born to do comedy. Dark, contrary to the title, is not overtly dark but is an excellent and inherently personal piece which is incredibly intelligent, unexpectedly thought-provoking and effortlessly entertaining.
Dark is on at Q Theatre at 7:15pm until April 30th. For more details and to book tickets, click here.
comedy | theatre | live entertainment | performing arts 