American comedian Dulcé Sloan enters the stage randomly talking, with what feels like finishing off a conversation with a close friend, about her messy and confusing first night. The audience doesn’t seem to know how to make sense of this abrupt start; felt through the silence and awkward laughs in the house. However, Sloan quickly picks it up by discussing the UK weather, referring to the sun as a “torch” playing tricks on us, giving no heat, just light. The crowd laughs in agreement with her complaints and then with her mocking of the roadmen here: “I’m not scared of anyone; give me your wallet.” Unsurprisingly, the UK jokes land well with the crowd, and she continues this momentum throughout the night, with her comedy driven by her sarcasm, side eyes and sudden loud beams of expressions.
With some overused internet jokes, like talking about “broke dick”, she redeems herself with funny facial expressions, constantly throwing side eyes that match her confidence which manifests through lines such as; because she is “fat” does not mean she isn’t beautiful, as “we have all seen ugly skinny girls”. She knows her worth, which is why she pleads to the women in the crowd to be self-aware and stop going for “broke dick”. She says, “It’s good because it has to be.” This part leans heavily on the “broke dick” joke, but with some improvisation and audience engagement, the show becomes entertaining. She humorously critiques how human males compare to their counterparts in other species. “You want my number? Kill that man,” she quips, sending the crowd into hysterics as she delivers a relentless stream of witty jabs at modern dating and how men pathetically woo women nowadays.
Sloan introduces us to her family: her brother, who is “just existing”, and her “crazy” mother, who all live with her and drive her nuts with their silly and nonsensical bickering, like arguing in the early hours of 4am if Bigfoot is real or not. She paints the image of her mother well with the stories she shares and her impersonations of her, making them all the more enjoyable and even more hilarious to hear.
At times, the performance feels a bit hurried with certain jokes that could benefit from refinement. Sloan’s comedy draws inspiration from internet humour and tweets, as seen in lines like “White women got bored, and now I have to work.” However, it is Sloan’s dynamic delivery and vibrant energy that truly drive the show, keeping the audience entertained and laughing throughout.
Featured Image: Credit Matt Waters
Review by Rim Alkaiat
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About:
Comedian and actress Dulcé has appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah since 2017, earning an Emmy Award and a GLAAD Award nomination for her work on the show. She is also the co-host of podcast Hold Up with Daily Show writer and fellow comedian Josh Johnson, and has appeared as a guest judge on the iconic long-running series RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Dulcé Sloan was at Soho Theatre from 17th to 22nd March
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