Like a pissed nutter at a bar chatting you up, Susie McCabe could rant for Scotland. With an honest set about real people, McCabe has a wonderful bitch about dieting, depression and drugs. A neurotic touch, McCabe is hilariously down to Earth and has a fantastically positive outlook, “for a Glaswegian,” when confronting the difficult questions of life.
Susie McCabe’s approach is bang on.
Except for the terribly insulting detail that she’s not from Edinburgh, McCabe wouldn’t look out of place in Trainspotting. With her hazy eyes, McCabe is a home crowd favourite; she is awesomely funny but I wouldn’t want to get into a fight with her. A classic reformed Catholic and an open lesbian, McCabe has a fantastic way of confronting the irony of life. Although at times her material is a little slow and there isn’t always consistent laughter, McCabe strikes the right storytelling/stand-up balance.
At this year’s Fringe, I’ve taken issue more than once with comedians who don’t get self-deprecation right. Especially when talking about depression, serious points can be made without losing the humour in your set. But often, the balance is missed and a set bombs, not because an audience is inconsiderate but because they pass the point at which a sad story can still be funny. Susie McCabe’s approach is bang on.
Although not the focus of her show, McCabe has an admirable honesty when talking about her experience with depression and she uses it as a springboard to some of her funniest material. Joking about Prozac and the Priory, McCabe wants to see the lighter side in life and finds it in everything, even getting trashed on weed. While she doesn’t always maintain the momentum of her set, she wants to put on a good show and she enjoys herself with the audience. I do get the feeling Susie is destined for the small stage, but she does what she will with an audience who love her.
