Review: Meg Mackay, Probably A Witch

It’s almost impossible to tell a Britney Spears joke now that is not overdone, brutally unfunny, and brazenly cruel, but that’s exactly what Meg Mackay accomplishes in the final minutes of her debut stand-up EP, Probably A Witch. With empathy and a clear fondness for her subject — she begins the bit by recounting a fan letter bursting with fledgling bisexual confusion that she wrote the pop star in her youth — Mackay executes a pointed overview of Britney’s career and some of its most infamous moments. It’s thoughtful and original (I had never considered that iconic I’m A Slave 4 U performance from that perspective before!) and very, very funny.

It’s also the perfect finale to a great debut. From the first memories of her small hometown in PEI (which she lovingly calls “a small sandbar […] populated primarily by sentient jean jackets”) to the last questions about Britney’s non-human co-stars — and every dog sibling misadventure, unconventional attempt at romantic revenge, microaggression, and Tragically Hip concert in between— Probably A Witch is consistently clever, highly amusing, and delivered with incredible timing. It also happens to feature one of the best impressions and assessments of Metallica I have ever heard.

Probably A Witch was released May 7, 2020 on Howl & Roar Records
Listen to it here