Canadian comedian Zoe Brownstone begins her show with a promise: ‘I’m gonna tell you some awful truths’ and, for better or worse, she’s true to her word. She promptly tucks into A Bite Of Yours, taking in therapy, dieting and meaningless sex. What she fails to do, however, is warm up tonight’s small, reticent crowd, and that omission has an effect on the rest of her hour. Brownstone is a very open comedian with many wonderfully lurid stories about sex. But it feels like the majority of tonight’s crowd have taken a chance on her without really knowing what’s in store, and they remain cold throughout.

To her credit, Brownstone rarely betrays concern about the low-key response. She compares her life to a romcom (believing herself to be ‘the quirky best friend’ and it’s hard to argue with that) and she breaks down the film genre’s constituent parts, applying them all to her life. Much of the show focuses on her attempts to bag the best man at a wedding, although she seeds this tale with doom from the off, suggesting that a happy ending won’t come to pass. Despite the odd atmosphere, Brownstone keeps control of her material, suggesting she’d really thrive with a more supportive crowd; it’s something she would likely achieve with some warm-up work.

Zoe Brownstone: A Bite Of Yours, Pleasance Courtyard, until 23 August, 7.15pm; main picture: Dylan Woodley.