‘That’s what it’s like being me. It’s a fucking hoot.’ You might roll your eyes at another hour exploring mental health, but a good performer can give a fresh sheen to familiar material, and Amanda Dwyer is certainly one of those. The deadpan Glaswegian delves into her battles with OCD and intrusive thoughts with wit, candour, and a complete lack of self-pity, leading to a memorable debut from yet another great addition to the current salad days of the Scottish scene.

In an interview with us Dwyer said she’s been building her debut show up gradually over time, and ‘What You Thinking About’ still contains the first ‘tight five’ she ever wrote. While you would expect a slight imbalance in material it’s surprisingly cohesive, flowing nicely between subjects. Her mental health issues play a large part in the narrative, but act as a catalyst for various tangents. There are also plenty moments where she moves on from the subject entirely, like a great section on a Brazilian wax. Again, Dwyer is far from the first to do material on feminine coiffuring, but her turn of phrase and delivery are brilliant.

There’s a brilliant bit of gentle ribbing of a few teetotal members of the audience. It’s instructive of Dwyer’s quality as a stage presence. She’s Death Valley-dry, but she’s deceptively warm. There’s no sense of punching down. Similarly, her relentless joshing of her family and friends is done with clear affection. There’s one moment relating to a childhood incident involving her cousin that lands as a bit brutal compared to the rest, but otherwise it’s a rare joke that falls flat.

More than a show about mental health, ‘What You Thinking About?’ is about overcoming one’s fears. Dwyer does lean into the expected emotional beats at time, especially the unnerving and harrowing extent of her intrusive thoughts, but the main takeaway is rather celebratory. Or at least as celebratory as Amanda Dwyer’s demeanour would allow herself to sound. Don’t mistake her lack of demonstrativeness for aloofness though. There’s a real empathetic heart to this excellent debut show.

‘What You Thinking About?‘ is at The Stand 4 until Sun 25 Aug 2024 at 17:25