Amy Matthews: Definitions Of Toast

Definitions Of Toast is a stand-up comedy show by Amy Matthews, staged at Monkey Barrel Comedy in Edinburgh. It takes its title from three meanings of the word toast.

The title plays on three senses of the word: bread made hot, something finished or doomed, and a raised glass marking new beginnings. Amy's material follows a search for anger, which Amy finds hard to access while everyone around seems furious. Alongside that quest come a first queer relationship, taken on in the thirties, and the recovery from a run of unsuitable partners.

The stand-up moves between the personal and the absurd. Emotions that arrive late, if at all, are a running theme, as is a mother who keeps milk in the boot of her car, a 2002 potion said to have cursed the world, and a confrontation with a bird on the pavement that became a turning point. The tone is dry and quirky, and the show asks what anger might look like in everyday life.

The show is a comedy for an adult audience, presented in a comedy venue in Edinburgh that hosts live shows across the year. It suits anyone who enjoys character-driven, observational stand-up with a strong sense of the unexpected.