one4review | On 15, May 2026

Edinburgh based comedian Sophie Rose McCabe brings her Fringe show to Glasgow and is doing it all tonight, and on her own terms. From promotion and taking tickets to showing people to seats in a busy venue, that attention to detail and those personal touches are already being rewarded by the audience, with the majority of walk-ups taking a wild punt on a new act.

On with the show, which starts off with a bespectacled, hi-vis jacket chic glory of Jenenz, giving a health and safety contest rundown of the evening. She’s someone who loves her job and the sound of her own voice, warning men in advance not to get overwhelmed that they’ll be watching a woman this evening, with equal parts backhanded, patronising love. It’s a lovely shoehorn into the show ahead.

Next up is Auntie Natal, the Australian motivational speaker from hell, who hasn’t so much trained for the job as failed at everything else. Nasty, neurotic and elitist, while pushing her cadaveric assertions, it’s a lot of fun and pitched at exactly the right level, pressing all the funny buttons without going full out.

Following is Pippa G(ee), the atypical Home Counties failed student princess decanted to Edinburgh to try out her hip hop career. It’s a wonderful old skool posh send-up and the songs are crisp, surprisingly good, and have a modern Pippa Evans/Zara Gladman feel, not mocking the art so much as exaggerating the structure, which delightfully makes it feel more stable block than garage. There’s an inherent virtuosity to the performance, even when it’s frolicking in failure.

Finally, usually the trickiest third in an hour set, she slays with a delightful stand-up segment dealing with modern life, kids, dating and lifestyle, including an absolutely delightful routine over tthe admission of buying a granny shopper for its practicality at such a young age. It’s relatable, smart and confident.

McCabe is a talented, salt-and-sauce, multi-talented minx of mischief and well worth your time. The influences on the character work are obvious (Ronnie Ancona, Maureen Lipman and Karen Dunbar spring to mind), but from start to finish, while juggling a lot of balls, she never drops any.

A triumphal blend of character comedy, music and stand-up with sincerity.

Reviewed by Steve

28th March
The Old Hairdressers, Glasgow