AMID all the hype surrounding Jerusalem, which opened at the Royal Court in 2009 and went on to enjoy sell-out runs in the West End, it was easy to forget Tom Brooke.

While Mark Rylance stole the show, picking up a Tony and Olivier award, Brooke generated a significant buzz as the teenager Lee, whose sights are set on Australia.

His performance earned him a number of new fans, including TV presenter and writer Victoria Coren, who declared in a slightly stalky blog how she could not stop watching him.

As he prepares to return to the Royal Court, this time in the title role in The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas (TRSOGM), directed by Vicky Featherstone, that buzz is building to an ear-splitting crescendo.

Brooke insists he feels no pressure being back on the stage where Jerusalem took off, and part of the reason for that is the writer Dennis Kelly.

This will be the third play on which the two have teamed up, following After the End, at the Bush Theatre, and Osama the Hero, at the Hampstead Theatre.

Brooke also had a small part in the brilliant BBC comedy Pulling, sadly pulled from our screens before its time but only after changing for good our innocent childhood memories of Babybels.

Kelly is hot property after Matilda the Musical matched its heroine’s feats of telekinesis when it came to hauling in the awards, and Brooke leaped at the chance to reunite with theatreland’s new golden boy.

"He’s untouchable and I could happily keep doing his plays forever," says Brooke. "He’s got a very idiosyncratic view of the world and other people. Anyone who’s seen his work on the telly has to see this because theatre really gives him the freedom to run riot.

"I think we share a sense of humour, which is why I love working with him, because he constructs his jokes so cleverly."

TRSOGM also marks the start of new artistic director Vicky Featherstone’s first full season at the Royal Court, where she has replaced Dominic Cooke.

Brooke narrowly missed out on working with her when he appeared in a Paines Plough production shortly after Featherstone moved on from the writing company in 2004 to become artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland.

“It’s taken a long time but I’ve always wanted to work with her and I’m so grateful to her for giving me this opportunity,” he said.

TRSOGM is described as a dark morality tale, following Brooke’s titular character from the hippy hangover of the 70s through the merciless capitalism of the 80s and 90s.

Gorge is clearly not the nicest of people but Brooke insists there are moments of pathos on his journey ‘from innocence to savage greed and knotted honesty’.

As for who inspired Gorge, Brooke says there is no one figure, but ‘shades of lots of different people in positions of power’.

He is hesitant to divulge any more but he describes himself as a ‘whore for laughter’ and his excitement betrays a confidence that laughter-lust will be sated.

The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas is at the Royal Court, in Sloane Square, until October 19. Tickets, priced £10 to £32, are available at www.royalcourttheatre.com or from the box office on 020 7565 5000.