Review by Bruce Dessau

Scotland’s Daniel Sloss has been trading on being one of the youngest comedians on the circuit for a couple of years now and at still only 19 he makes 23-year-old Kevin Bridges seem like a grizzled old trouper.

For Sloss however, his age is both a help and a hindrance. At the start of his well-received short, sharp set, he said he was too young to do sex gags like more seasoned stand-ups – but then proceeded to pepper the gig with plenty of bedroom-based banter.

But even when the material is on the unimaginative side, touching on reliable comic staples such as the Churchill dog, internet porn and James Blunt, Sloss is technically impressive. His delivery has a confidence way beyond his years which helps to drive home the obvious routines. And he can think on his feet too. When a heckler tried his luck, Sloss went for his jugular with the brutal efficiency of a veteran.

Despite having written gags for Frankie Boyle, Sloss does not have a particularly nasty sense of humour. Or maybe he does but cannily chooses to keep the cleaner material for himself. Whatever the reasons there is a neat, natural fit between his boyish persona and his boyish, uncynical style. Not the most original performer to come out of Scotland in recent years, but certainly one that has all the tools to make it into the mainstream.

Review date: 25 Jul 2010
Reviewed by: Bruce Dessau