Dulcé Sloan

Written by: Si Hawkins
Published: Friday 7th March 2025

It was the first of times, it was the worst of times.

This time we welcome Dulcé Sloan, whose comedy CV has an impressive array of different job titles: a seven year stint as senior correspondent/rotating host at The Daily Show, guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race, author (the book Hello Friends!), podcaster (Hold Up, with Josh Johnson), and voice actor, with a regular role on animated sitcom The Great North, alongside Nick Offerman, Jenny Slate et al.

Plus, of course, stand-up. Next week she jets to London for a week of shows at Soho Theatre, and will be wading into some deep life stuff, along the way. Does it get emotional?

"The show is about the big changes that have happened in my life and what I still want for my life," Sloan explains. "I talk about being in my 40s and living in the same house with my mom, still holding on to the hope that I will get married and have kids but, since I have been unsuccessful in that endeavour, the process of getting my eggs frozen and the nonsense that goes into that. It's funny, emotional and informative."

And any other plans while in town?

"I plan to see more of London since the last time I was there was during Covid. I wanna see Brixton and go to the Cotswolds and solve a cozy mystery."

Quite a week in prospect. Now let's pop back a few years.

First gig?

It was in the event room of a motel in country-ass Georgia with my mom. The paint was peeling off the walls and everything was water damaged and I wasn't even supposed to perform. My mother and I had come to support my comedy mentor Big Kenney and he called me onstage because one of the comics hadn't shown up yet. I think I did okay and I made $25. All in all a great night.

Favourite show, ever?

I don't have a single favourite gig because I have so much fun doing stand-up. The gigs I like the most are the ones where I feel the most comfortable onstage and have a good connection with the audience. A show where I can play with laughs and paint a picture of who I am with words. I hope I get to do that in London.

Worst gig?

Colleges. Most of them are very difficult. The students think they should be offended but can't explain why when you ask them. They don't want to be at the show but feel like you owe them your time outside the show because they paid for you to perform, and the location of the show is always incredibly hard to find on campus.

I have also had to drive in very dangerous conditions, alone, doing colleges. They helped me be a full-time comic but I know they took years off my life.

Which one person influenced your comedy life most significantly?

Michelle Buteau. She is the reason I am talking about getting my eggs frozen on stage. I was so embarrassed to talk about it because I was ashamed that I had to do it. But she told me that more people need to hear about black women's experiences in the world of fertility and that talking about it could help me feel better about it as well.

And who's the most disagreeable person you've come across in the business?

Wow, are y'all trying to destroy me?!? London is the birthplace of tabloid news, but I didn't think y'all would come for me.

There is nothing anonymous on the internet and I most certainly will not give the details of any of the men that caused me trouble because they wanted to take credit for my success, or the ones that yelled at me in public/tried to fight me. Telling any of those stories would be the most press and laughs they have ever received.

Is there one routine/gag you loved, that audiences inexplicably didn't?

Hmm. If I did I can't remember. If a bit truly doesn't work after telling it three-to-five times I scrap and move on.

I do have more of a thing that I think is funny about a white girl who is dating a black man and her very conservative, racist family disowns her. As in they "don't come to the wedding, stop all contact" disown her. But she doesn't care because they are in love.

They are so in love and so religious that they wait until their wedding night to have sex for the first time. That is when she finds out her black husband has a small penis. All that grief for a man with a small dick. Makes me giggle all the time. It usually only makes three or four women out of an audience laugh.

And is there a random town, city or country that's a particular joy to play?

I like to do SXSW in Austin, TX. It's a huge festival with comedy, tech, film, TV and music. I hope to perform outside the US more often so I'm really looking forward to the shows at Soho Theatre.

Any reviews, heckles or post-gig reactions stick in the mind?

Early in my career it would really bother me when audience members would come up to me after a show and say "I never thought women comedians were funny but you were really great". Especially when women would say that because I couldn't understand why a woman wouldn't think another woman is funny. But as much as it is confusing, someone is telling me that my comedy changed their perspective and that is always what I want my comedy to do.

How do you feel about where your career is at, right now?

I'm excited and hopeful about where my career is right now. I love stand-up and I am working on selling my hour special, but I am also getting back into acting that I really missed and I'm looking forward to seeing where that journey takes me.

Dulcé Sloan is at London's Soho Theatre from 17th to 22nd March. Tickets