Jordan Brookes: Adventures in Limited Space

Appearing before us to a conspicuous lack of fanfare or applause, Jordan Brookes thrives on awkward silences and goes out of his way to create them. A recurring gag throughout his show involves him limping to the edges of the stage and presenting what follows as an encore for which there was never any demand. “Back into the fray once more,” he sighs in arrogant resignation, a stage persona of forced self-satisfaction that could implode at a moment's notice.

Describing himself as an actor, Brookes' lofty ambitions have led to part time work in a Cardiff shoe shop alongside a stand-up career about which he remains “fiercely indifferent.” Of course we don't know the extent to which the 29-year-old plays up his failures and frustrations, but a very real angst fuels this otherwise silly performance.

A brilliant demonstration of how he stays in touch with his Liverpudlian roots amounts to five minutes of strained baby speak, but one gets the impression Brookes really does grapple with the notion of self-identity, that his relentless schtick has had an alienating effect on him.

He compares long-term dating to a series of auditions, while the opinions of his partners' parents equate to poison broadsheet reviews. Even portions of this afternoon's audience seem uncomfortable with the performer saying and doing the strangest things with apparent sincerity.