Jordan Brookes @ Pleasance Courtyard

Jordan Brookes’ latest show is a demonstration in how to make something out of nothing.

Review by Yasmin Hackett | 05 Aug 2019
  • Jordan Brookes

There’s a constant sense, throughout this hour, that Jordan Brookes is on the verge of some big revelation. “People’s attention spans tend to go after about fourteen minutes, right?” he asks. But Brookes is masterful in his ability to hold the audience’s attention, even without a big reveal. He has a wacky sort of energy; the kind that leaves you wondering what the next thing he’ll say might be.

His frenetic stage presence is relentless, and solid gags emerge sporadically in the wake of the more frantic moments in the show. The timing of his delivery is off-key, and he’ll weave the next part of a story into the show after having seemingly abandoned it minutes earlier, keeping everyone on their toes. It’s an exercise in catharsis, for Brookes and for the audience, as he posits observations that are twisted and dark, yet strangely relatable. He has the air of someone whose imagination is constantly running away with itself, but in the best possible way – you always want to know how much further Brookes will take it.

He is king of the double-bluff. Jibes at the tech person for not dimming the lights and bringing them up at his exact beck and call and his faux attitude of not really wanting to be there give the show a delightful cheekiness. It is little wonder then, that Brookes’ claim ‘I’ve Got Nothing’ this Fringe is just another of his ploys – he has a brilliant way of making something out of nothing.


Jordan Brookes: I've Got Nothing, Pleasance Courtyard (Beneath), until 26 Aug (not 13), 9.30pm, £8-£11