Formerly of The Daily Show, which won an Emmy, Dulce Sloan brings her hour show across the pond this month to Soho Theatre – her first time performing at the iconic venue. Covering co-habiting with her family, being a reluctant breadwinner and the forgotten art of peacock courtship, read on to hear what we thought of the show.
This pro comic exudes confidence and charisma, from the minute she steps onto the stage, Dulcé Sloan has the audience at her fingertips, whispering to the crowd so you can hear a pin drop, to a punch line that rips the room apart with laughter. It’s impressive to garner these reactions when the subject matter is often not shocking or unbelievable, merely an anecdote about day-to-day life; living with family, arguing over what pan’s been used to cook pork.
The other impressive thing about Sloan is how few words she can use to create a powerful punch line – something that takes years of finesse, she makes look easy. Particular favourites included notions like: we have peacocks, but why do we never see a peahen? Proof that dogs are scary in the fact that the CIA don’t have a feline unit. Or, that the french language resembles a baby talking backwards.
The show covers quite a lot of ground – starting off with questions about race: Sloan asking why black people ever voluntarily moved to Britain, taking us through the perks and quirks of moving from her hometown, Atlanta Georgia to Los Angeles and living with her mum, brother, cat and dog, and briefly on her experience in love, still looking to find the one. But these anecdotes are always kept light and playful, Sloan touches on things with her characteristic positive powerful energy, never wholly serious.
While less a constructed show, Sloan’s stand up is an insight into a comic at the top of their game, with whip-smart punch lines, slick observations and traditional storytelling.
Photo Credit: Matt Waters
You can catch Dulcé Sloan until Fri 22 March @ 9:15 PM at Soho Theatre, tickets here.
