‘I’ve never actually played the piano before,’ Jordan Gray confides with a wink, before taking a seat and gliding her hands elaborately up and down the keys. ‘It’s a piece of piss!’ she cries out. It is this jesting cock-of-the-walk energy that makes Gray so utterly charming, born in part from her Essex cheek and bolstered by her unequivocal musical talent. She performs each song with every inch of her body, squirming, grinning and snarling with a hyperactive exuberance, while her limber vocals vault impossible ranges, from the theatrical baritone of David Bowie to Cher’s diva-cry and cartoonish giggles. 

Bowie’s androgyny makes him a fitting inspiration for this show. Gray’s stand-up segments address her trans identity, a potentially hefty topic that she carries off with charismatic silliness. ‘It’s bloody hard being transgender. I haven’t had a Yorkie bar in five years!’ she exclaims. Her comedy toes the line between flippant and intelligent, taking jibes at Batman, dogs and dick pics with effortless wit and no end of delicious puns. But her wacky and expert clowning does, in the end, conceal a vulnerability. As the performance draws to a close, she intones, ‘if I’m going to be a joke, I might as well be in on it.’

Assembly George Square, until 28 August, 10.25pm; Assembly George Square Gardens, 20 August, 8.20pm; main picture: Dylan Woodley.