Ostensibly a tribute to his deceased Nanna, ‘Body of Work’ is Brookes at his finest. He wants you, the audience, to join him in trying to feel something for once. But by his own confession, he’s always got an urge to ruin things, and a mind that won’t stop wandering, disappearing down a rabbit warren of inappropriate thoughts. Erratic, fast-paced humour is mixed with awkward, drawn-out scenes that take you to the brink of discomfort through over-exaggerated gestures. Highly expressive, Brookes’ performance borders on the grotesque but remains genuinely hilarious; stunningly inappropriate jokes and twists to the narrative coalesce into a clever, but superbly dark hour of stand-up. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Daisy Malt]