Jordan grew up in
Brentford, West London, with a theatrical family. Although both parents were actors, her journey after graduating from
LAMDA drama school was not easy, so she began making and writing her own work. She then set up her own company, Without A Paddle, now a multiple award-winning theatre company and network.
Style “There’s an obsession with discovering young, debut writers that carries an unrealistic burden of expectation,” Jordan says. “Even though winning the Bruntwood opened all sorts of doors, I’m hopefully a lot more level-headed about it than I would have been 10 years ago. 'Yen' isn’t my first play, but my seventh or eighth full-length piece.” Among her favorite writers are
Jim Cartwright,
Simon Stephens,
David Eldridge and
Sarah Kane. However, she states that her "first and greatest inspiration was
John Sullivan’s 'Only Fools and Horses'." The British Theatre Guide reviewer of her play
Chicken Shop wrote: "She is indubitably one of the hottest young talents around, so race to both the Park and 503 to catch her two fine plays while you have the chance." Her play
Freak premiered at the
Assembly George Square Studios,
Edinburgh, from 31 July 2014 to 25 August 2014, produced by
Theatre 503 and Polly Ingham Productions. The British Theatre Guide reviewer wrote: "With two assured performances and a strong text, 'Freak' proves to be both lively and thoughtful and should prove very popular, especially with younger women." The play then ran at
Theatre 503 in London from 2 September 2014 to 27 September 2014. Her play
Yen premiered at the Royal Exchange,
Manchester in February 2015. The play revolves around two teen brothers who live alone, having been abandoned by their mother. In his review of the Off-Broadway production for
The New York Times,
Ben Brantley wrote: " 'Yen' is a thoughtful play, for sure, but too often you’re aware of the wheels churning behind it. And while everything clicks thematically (and symbolically), you may feel that the characters are being pushed into climactic positions by authorial hands...The production is most articulate at its least verbal, when the cast members give fractured physical life to their emotional confusion. " In 2023,
Stratford East staged
Jack and The Beanstalk pantomime. She has also written for television, beginning with
Succession. She later wrote episodes of
Killing Eve,
Becoming Elizabeth,
One Day and
Film Club. She will write on the upcoming second season of
Sweetpea.
Acting tutor Jordan is currently establishing a new, low-cost training programme for actors at the Hackney Showroom. She has taught and directed at
Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts,
Arts Ed,
RADA and Identity, and has written for LAMDA and
Central School of Speech and Drama. She coaches privately and runs the WAP Weekly Workout for Professional Actors. ==Plays==