MEDIA & PRESS

Daniel Sloss’ Can’t is a brilliant show that will have you crying tears of laughter while also making you think about the different controversies that divide our world.

Scottish comedy’s prodigal bad son is surely holding nothing back. This show [CAN’T] is a brilliant statement of the validity and necessity of Sloss’s kind of comedy. It will be a really once in career moment to see Sloss in a relatively intimate theatre before he inevitably moves to playing stadiums. His shows are not only hilarious, but they’re smart, and have something to say. He’s a force who is not only a joke sledgehammer, but he’s also a sweetheart.

Can’t, the riveting 90-minute-set that Daniel Sloss is currently touring, [comes] armed with a breathless energy, unending curse words, frequent wisecracks, and facial contortions – an act that digged deeper — way more than his previous work — into an ask for vulnerability and empathy…the signature edginess of his material accommodated a refreshing degree of introspection… If his earlier specials (Dark, Jigsaw) displayed his fascination toward positing comedy as coping mechanism, Sloss seems more inclined here to harness it as power — the power to make the lines between offense and provocation distinct as well as redundant.  

It was a joy to see such a visceral performance; one that denoted insult bombs like it was the Blitz but still managed to be deeply sentimental. It is as if Sloss has the circus skills of a funambulist, straddling the tightrope between darkness and light while delving into life, relationships and human suffering but never managing to lose his balance… We winced, laughed, squirmed and dug our heads into our hands as he crossed the line, crossed it again and crossed it once more. Still, somehow, this Scotsman’s narrative delivery and innate sensitivity seemingly got him off scot-free.

Deliciously dark stand-up… At 27, Scotland’s Daniel Sloss has, incredibly, now racked up his tenth Fringe outing. Tackling taboos (death, grooming) has become his forte and this latest continues the trend. “X” is a stunner of a show.

Simply world class… hilarious… An endearingly unabashed blend of arrogance, awkwardness and self-effacing anecdotes delivered with precision timing, perfectly-placed silence and (the) unfettered confidence… Nothing is off limits… Sloss skilfully weaves sensitive subject matter into a hilarious tapestry of politically incorrect and sexually inappropriate zingers… his humour intelligently and ironically calling out the hypocrisy of human nature.

Dirty, sweet and clever

Extraordinarily intelligent, sharp as a tack and incredibly witty. His timing is impeccable and his ability to turn a momentary silence into a side-splitting segue is testament to his genius. This is not comedy for the faint-hearted. It is dark, tense and extremely edgy. Why? Because you have no idea where it will go or where it will end… Pure genius!

Hilarious…There is something effortlessly charming about Daniel Sloss… Devastatingly intelligent… he makes you think about yourself and your relationships, and then side-swipes you with a brilliant gag. While you will come away thinking about your life choices, you will also come away with sore ribs from laughing… Sloss is a festival highlight. See him.

Brilliantly dark… Sloss is on his 10th solo tour, hence the show’s name: X. The title also serves as fair warning – the comic is edgier than ever, setting up tension from the word go, then undercutting it beautifully.

Brilliant… a master craftsman… Sloss works best by creating moments of near unbearable tension and then puncturing them with a welcome but unexpectedly sharp barb. To be this good at 27 is a rare thing, and if Sloss can continue to evolve his material in intriguing and novel ways, he could become one of the greats.

Charming, self-deprecating and genuinely funny

Nothing short of hysterical… Stunning

Dazzling wit

Irreverent wit and devastating… An intelligent, razor sharp performer

Stunningly poignant… finely honed skill… deeply dark comedic style… more than a little bit evil… Sloss proves you don’t need a university education to know how to do your research and construct an intelligent argument. In fact, he is brilliantly skilled at doing just that and making it achingly funny at the same time.

Daniel Sloss is a born comedian… he’s a master at rewinding to the original thread without missing a beat… remarkable… rapid-fire delivery… It’s incredible to watch

Dark AF stand-up; snowflakes beware, this is no safe space…comedy provocateur… Sloss is clever, studious and even philosophical

I’ve never seen a comedian I’ve wanted to kiss and punch in equal measures. The handsome young Scotsman revels in the nihilistic and politically incorrect—here’s one who eats outrage for breakfast… Sloss was hailed as one of the highlights of last year’s Melbourne Comedy Festival, and it’s easy to see why. Provocative, punchy and smirking with black humour, Sloss rails against a slew of hefty topics: religion, disability, death, politics, and reserves a particularly fervent hatred for vegans. He is astute in so many ways: his cynical self-awareness of his middle class white man status, his description of the dogged tunnel vision of the easily offended, and his bemusement at his fellow left-wingers for their apathy and in-fighting… Brilliant

It’s a testament to Sloss’ skill that the audience follow him through each set up, across the expertly wound tension and into the cutting punchlines… He has tight, near-perfect control of his pacing and delivery, knowing how to read reactions and pop the pressure at the last possible second. The observational aspects of the show provide an excellent foil to the narrative beats Sloss hits… Now is 70 minutes of traditional stand up brought near the peak of its form. Intelligent and incisive, Sloss’ stand up leaves the audience wondering about their own relationship to logic and emotion. His talent comes in being able to combine the two into genuinely hilarious comedy.

Sloss is on red-hot form this year… not only do the jokes pour out, he slyly and unexpectedly introduces serious ideas into the debate… A stand-up veteran at 24, his handling of provocative topics is maturing fast so that, even as circumstances pile up in his sex stories and the laughter rises to hysteria, he’s totally in control of the shifts in tone

Meteoric… Has them rolling in the aisles… Sloss is blessed with a sharp mind and a potent stage persona.

A genuine twinkle in his eye and a sharp line in observational humour… Sloss demonstrated a genuine affection for the crowd… The humour is funny, intelligent and charming. As is Sloss.

Unstoppable… The road to playing a venue like a conference centre for a full month should take comedians at least half a career to achieve. The Fifer Viking [Daniel Sloss] has got there in about half an hour. And he’s even stuck on some extra shows for his drooling masses.

Makes Inglorious Bastards seem like Best Exotic Marigold Hotel