Daniel Sloss - 'Hubris'

Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss went viral earlier this year when a clip from his old show X started making the rounds online. In it, Sloss talks in incredible detail and with perfect poise on the necessity of continuing the conversation of rape culture and accountability in men therein. It’s an amazing piece of footage that shows just how good of a performer Sloss can be. However, as the one of the only international performers at MICF this year, he fails to bring that power back to the stage.

The main issue with Hubris is in the fact that Sloss has abandoned any sort of thematic cohesion for which he has become known. His previous offerings brought critical acclaim thanks to his tackling of big issues like toxic masculinity and heteronormativity, but this time round the stand-up has gone the heavily worn and trodden path of picking on his girlfriend and poking fun at the citizens of the USA. It’s a slow trudge though the mundanely traditional that goes nowhere fast and has near to none of the classic Sloss point of view for which he has become known.

There are some fantastic occasional glimpses into the comic's take-no-prisoners approach, but they are scarcely scattered and only briefly touched on. For every minute he spends decimating the Catholic Church or the current socio-political climate, he devotes a further ten to unnecessary hypothetical dramatisations of the Hiroshima bombings for a comedic payoff he’s already established. It’s certainly not the kind of work for which Sloss has received his deserved accolades in past shows, which more than it makes the show unfunny, more-so it makes it disappointing. He has proven beyond any doubt that he is one of the most eloquent and considered performers when it comes to the big stuff, but here, Sloss is phoning it in.

Sloss will have no problem selling out the big stages around the country for the remainder of his Aus tour, but fans and newcomers alike may well be in for an unwelcome surprise when it comes to Hubris. It is a show in dire need of further development if Sloss is to once again reach the dizzying comedic heights of his past.