one4review | On 17, Aug 2026

Katie Norris teases the crowd mercilessly and hilariously, oh didn’t learn social skills during Covid? Roasting a love hungry woman in the front row – right on the line of fear and funny. Everyone in the room is shaking with laughter- we can’t help but absolutely love it.

Norris appears with a crow on her shoulder and belts out songs which are genuinely funny. She’s got a great voice, but it’s in the set-up-punchline personal material that she really drives home some of the funniest personal insights about dating, Men explaining why Stuart Lee should be her favorite comedian, feels like something everyone has had to deal with.

It’s all delivered with the world-weariness of an incredibly funny woman completely worn out by trying to find someone who can match her.

Her crowd work is beyond anyone else I’ve seen at the Fringe. It’s so quick and so witty. She manages to mercilessly make fun of us while keeping everyone laughing incredibly hard. Asking men what their favourite power tool is – fertile ground for what she’s about to reveal.

Norris tells the story of eventually meeting her now-boyfriend, a tradesman, and she gives us the truth of how they met rather than polishing it into some perfect romantic story.

There’s a slight loss of momentum around two-thirds of the way through, compared with the absolute top level of jokes she’s been hammering us in the first section.

But Norris pulls everything together by the end, revealing that she’s now with someone she likes. Hearing she’s happy is cathartic – getting to know a little about the real woman behind this avalanche of jokes.

Her deer story is absolutely hilarious, and her descriptions of what middle-aged women become are equal parts accurate and witty. This room should be full every night.

Norris is one of the most accomplished stand-ups on the scene. Mother Succubus is, in terms of Edinburgh, an absolute top-level show. In terms of Norris herself, though, you still get the feeling she has another level in her. There is somehow another level she can reach, she’s amazingly talented, funny and whip smart.

As the consummate performer and someone who regularly is in the prize running circuit for good reason. I might start telling women on dates that she should be their favourite comedian.

****1/2

Reviewed by Stephen “Sharpie” Sharp
Pleasance Courtyard
Until 30th August (not 19th)
21.25