Comedy review: Daniel Sloss - Teenage Kicks

Published on Wednesday 12 August 2009 19:02

DANIEL SLOSS – TEENAGE KICKS PLEASANCE DOME (VENUE 23)

UNTIL 11 months ago, Daniel Sloss was unable, legally, to buy an alcoholic beverage in the comedy clubs where he has been honing his act for the past two years – not that he appears to be imbibing anything stronger than a pint of water during this show. His mum's in the room but he doesn't let that stop him unleashing the wank jokes early on.

Teenage Kicks is Sloss's solo Fringe debut, following an apprenticeship writing gags for Frankie Boyle on Mock the Week and a spot in last year's So You Think You're Funny final. This 18-year-old Fifer is a precocious talent.

He comes on stage to young person's music and talks about all that squirmy teenage stuff, yet is still comprehensible to people over 21. There are plenty of teenagers in the audience. There are parents with the teenagers, possibly hoping for some insight into their demon spawn. Sloss, however, is no average teenager.

By any standards – not just the patronising, didn't-he-do-well-for-a-young-'un standards by which it is difficult not to judge his performance – he is a confident, engaging stand-up with a big bag of material on puberty, sex education and Grand Theft Auto. On this first foray, he sticks close to home – literally, as there are lots of jokes about Fife, Edinburgh and Glasgow – but he should go far.

Until 31 August. Today 7pm.