Amanda Dwyer starts by telling us she’s relatively new to comedy. She first got on stage to overcome her fears; fears which permeate her debut hour. Quickly her low-energy delivery has the room chuckling along with the details of her marriage break-up, her struggles with the phonetic alphabet and new relationship worries. But just when we think we’re in familiar territory, Dwyer’s show takes a sharp turn. In a brave move, she reveals something about herself so shocking that one audience member gasps. Dwyer, though, has built a strong rapport with the room and doesn’t lose any of us with this twist. She handles the more serious material deftly and brings the laughs back in again. It’s a show that deserves a bigger audience.

The Stand 4, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Tom Brogan]