For a time, an odd phenomenon defined Daniel Sloss’ comedy, couples inevitably calling it quits shortly after seeing him perform. In fact, it occurred with such alarming regularity that the Scottish comic began keeping count. The tally has soared since last year. “I think we’re around about four or five hundred [break-ups], and that includes one divorce and three cancelled engagements,” he reports.
“I knew it was going to be a slow-burner because it’s very rarely an instant break-up,” Sloss reveals. “The show just puts doubt in your mind. So I always knew I would be reaping the rewards a lot, lot later on – several months afterwards. And I was not wrong.”
Given this strange consequence of Sloss’ comedy, the direction of his latest show, Now, makes sense. “It’s me trying to work out whether I’m a sociopath,” he explains. “Because of last year’s show, people kept calling me a sociopath. It’s not the first time I’ve been called a sociopath. I’ve been called a sociopath at several different points in my life and I have a general rule that if someone ever accuses you of being something more than three times, have a check.”
“If three people told me I was racist, if three people told me I was creepy, if three people told me I was an alcoholic… one you could doubt, two and you’re like, eh, they could be in cahoots. But when it gets to three, that’s a lot of fucking evidence.”
That’s not to say that Sloss necessarily backs-down from anything he preached during his last run of performances here. Now fittingly represents an organic progression from old to new ideas. “It’s not really a rebuttal to last year’s show but it definitely tacks on.”
“I don’t theme shows intentionally. I never sit down and go, right, this is what the show’s about, this is what I want to discuss,” Sloss clarifies. “My brain lets me know what’s at the front of my fucking mind. I write jokes about that. Sometimes I get lucky, with this year’s show especially, that the jokes all sort of join together naturally and there’s a natural order. But I’m not one of those comedians with a fucking process.”
Whatever shape the jokes take, Sloss is keen to make an impact through comedy. “I’ve seen all these amazing comedians before and I’ve laughed so hard but if you were to ask me now, I don’t remember what any of the jokes were but I just remember laughing,” he explains. “Whereas I could quote you a lot of the stuff from Jim Jefferies’ show that I saw ten years ago or Tim Minchin or Bo Burnham or Tig Notaro, these people that actually, while being funny, said something and made me question my opinions and my stance.”
“I’ve always enjoyed that, making people think and see things my way. It’s great making people laugh and that is always my number one priority, but I want to make sure that I’m not insane, so I express my opinions to an audience and see if they agree.”
