Dream Gig: Amanda Dwyer

Glasgow comic and half of Material, Girl with Susan Riddell, Amanda Dwyer takes part in an absurd gig while dreaming up something even more fantastic!

Article by Amanda Dwyer | 12 Dec 2024
  • Amanda Dwyer's Dream Gig Illustration

Incredible gigs stick with you and my most recent one was just last month at the Old Hairdresser’s in Glasgow.

It had the makings of being absolutely rotten for me because my period arrived earlier that day…

I spend hours dreading the gig: ten minutes before I have to leave the house, I’m crying on my couch about how much I do not want to go tell jokes. It’s really pathetic of me in hindsight, but, at the time it feels like the worst thing in the world. Reluctantly I drag myself to the venue. The show’s called Gnash and is an experimental comedy gig which focuses on the relationship between art and comedy. Sounds a bit mad, and for all I know, it could be a disaster.

The show starts, and as it goes on my mood is completely transformed – it’s bloody miraculous! There’s some prop-based stand-up to start, followed by an insane interactive bedtime story about a big bit of ham and the moon. The act before me is a full-on puppet show, only with a live band doing the soundtrack. Think Punch and Judy, but with real jokes and less domestic abuse. It’s one of the most creative, amazing, original things I’ve ever seen and the audience love it. I’m sweating buckets at this point because I’m thinking ‘How am I going to follow all this weird and wonderful stuff and hold their attention for 20 minutes just standing there with my silly wee jokes?’ – there’s absolutely no chance.

I reluctantly make my way to the stage, fully expecting to die a big death, but the opposite happens. The audience is so lovely and I end up running over by a few minutes because they’re laughing so much.

There was just a wee bit of magic in the room that night and I went home with my PMT completely cured. Highly recommend following a puppet show over a straight white guy telling jokes about his knob any day. It was just so different and fun and did something wholesome for my inner child.

As for my dream gig – I think if we’re talking like out of this world dreamy – there would have to be some sort of therapy dog or even better – therapy PIG – in the green room. A corner of the room designated to nervous farts wouldn’t hurt either and it makes the farter undetectable. I mean is that too much to ask? Can a girl not fart in peace when she’s petrified? ‘SAKE.

The setting is my high school auditorium, purely because in the centre of the stage someone once did a poo and during the investigation into whose poo it was, there was a circle drawn around it. That circle is still there and has forever been known as ‘the jobby circle’ and I love the thought of the acts getting to perform in the famous jobby circle.

Anyway, I’m hosting the show to mostly tipsy millennials (they just get me better than anyone else). The line-up consists of Maria Bamford, my comedy bestie Susan Riddell and David Brent from The Office. He thinks he’d be a natural and dies on his arse for twenty minutes straight. I can’t think of anything more cringe than that, and I love a wee bit of cringe. We all console him backstage and he brings out his guitar for a sing song. Bob Mortimer headlines – he can do anything he wants and I will find it hilarious.

My ex-husband is in the audience and no matter how much he doesn’t want to laugh at me he simply can’t help it; he finds me too hilarious. He stands up and admits I was the funny one after all, in front of hundreds of witnesses. One guy in the audience thought that he could do better though and he approaches me at the end to give me some advice. I knock him out with one punch and face zero repercussions. I celebrate by having a big pizza and a game of chap door run away with Bob Mortimer.


Material, Girl is at The Stand, Glasgow every 3rd Sunday of the month. The next Material, Girl is on 22 Dec, 3pm, £7-£8

The show also has an accompanying podcast (available wherever you get yours)

Amanda Dwyer: I Did Something Bad (WIP), Van Winkle West End, 15 Mar 2025, 1.50pm, £3-4. Part of Glasgow International Comedy Festival