Review: Susie McCabe: The Merchant of Menace

Most comics would agree that the run-up to the Fringe is a stressful time, but few would have as solid a claim as Susie McCabe does this year. Just two weeks ago, the Glaswegian fan favourite suffered a heart attack following a preview of her show, resulting in major heart surgery and leaving her Fringe run in doubt. 

This health scare is too recent to make any appearance in The Merchant of Menace but it’s worth mentioning because it makes McCabe’s polished and confident performance all the more impressive. She sticks to what she knows, with observations on Scottish drinking culture, Glaswegian attitudes to self-improvement, and how working-class people behave in high-end five-star hotels – but she hits every mark, delighting an adoring audience and building to a pleasing conclusion which puts a political spin on a largely personal narrative. There is nothing too daring or challenging here, but McCabe is clearly a comic talent in her prime, connecting with an audience by finding the funny in the everyday. 

The Merchant of Menace is loosely structured around McCabe’s assertion that she’s had a big year: a new marriage, a new godchild, a visit to the Houses of Parliament. Now, perhaps against the health-related odds, she can add a successful Fringe show to the list.