one4review | On 12, Aug 2025

Glaswegian Amanda Hursy is relatively new to comedy. She is off to a good start, having been  shortlisted for a BBC newcomer award and a semi finalist in Scottish comedian of the year.

Amanda’s style is confessional story telling and it is of her lived experience and she does not hold back. Stand up comedy at it’s best should always try to take the audience on a journey and touch on some uncomfortable subject matters. Mental health is an easier topic than it used to be but if you put into the mix a schizophrenic, psychotic, violent father, it can get pretty dark.

Amanda does not shy away from sharing this deeply personal information with the audience. This is a very funny show and Amanda is a very talented stand up and comparisons must be made to the late, great Janey Godley.

The lived experiences that has lead Amanda to persue a career in comedy, has not been easy. Growing up on a rough tough housing estate in a very much deprived part of Glasgow with little or no family support. Amanda was able to navigate her way out. This came in the form of a sporting scholarship to a posh school. This, of course, was not without its challenges. The family on a sports day would definitely stand out from the crowd!

Not only did Amanda survive the frequent embarrassment but she thrived and eventually went on to earn a place at University to study Politics.

The title of the show is Carted. This is a Scottish slang term for being arrested. It turns out that Amanda has been arrested many, many times and it’s usually unjustified. This is a recurring theme throughout the show. Whilst Amanda’s arrests were for mainly minor and dodgy misdemeanours, her father’s crimes were of a more serious nature. He was convicted of a very serious crime and received a hefty sentence and sent to a high-security psychiatric hospital.

The unexpected twist at the end of the show is quite shocking and the audience audibly gasp. This is so impactful. Amanda is such a talented performer that she still  manages to turn things around and remind us that this is a comedy show.

Amanda is seriously funny! She is uncompromising, fearless and quite brilliant. Go see this show.

****1/2
Reviewed by Margot

Gilded Balloon – Patter House

18.20 (1hr)

Until 25 Aug