Words: Aria Tsvetanova

Susie McCabe’s new stand-up routine follows a conventional structure of observational comedy mixed with personal anecdotes as the comedian takes us on a journey of growing up queer in 1980s and 1990s Scotland. From constructions sites to lingerie shops, McCabe reckons with her own womanhood – the ways in which she belongs and the ways in which she never has.

Beginning with gay representation in the media in the 1990s, McCabe comments on the difference between the high-art poetic lesbianism she saw on TV and her own working-class upbringing and culture. From then on, McCabe dives into her own feelings of inadequacy as a woman and the subsequent imposter syndrome. The routine touches on all the markers of womanhood and queerness: relationships with parents and their expectations, body image and diets, and the difficulty of finding a lesbian date who shares an interest in plumbing.

McCabe employs tons of dry self-deprecating humour. Her quick wit leaves no break between laughs. The show seems to wobble a bit when McCabe comments on modern men and their obsession with air-fryers and the amount of tannins in red wine. However, McCabe brilliantly brings this around in the end with a message about insecurities and doing your best, inspired by her father.

Susie McCabe: Femme Fatality
Assembly George Square Studios, Two
20.35
4-27 Aug (not 14)