Gary Little: He Was Only Jail Gay

As the television programme Porridge surely attests, prison life can provide a pleasingly peculiar setting from which observational comedy can arise. Enforced socialising, extreme boredom and (in some cases) sexual deprivation all contribute to an environment where the extremes of human nature are set free, so to speak, and allowed to evolve into something both horrifying and downright fascinating.

When Gary Little begins to delve into his dark - but mercifully not dangerous - past, he stops just short of any truly enlightening insight, preferring instead to focus his storytelling on the lighter side of life behind bars. His insistence on swerving the deeper issues can be frustrating to watch, as Little is clearly an intelligent and interesting man. An anecdote about a farting competition with his cellmate lasts longer than one might think conceivable. It’s only palatable thanks to Little’s considerable charm and flashes of endearing innocence.

After a fairly rocky first half hour, Little’s later anecdotes appear to be far better structured, making it clear that he is not lacking in joke-writing talent. A lengthy tale about women who write unsolicited letters to inmates has the desired effect, its climax being extremely funny and exhibiting Little’s warmth of personality. The finale, however, misses its target and flies off track into the realms of the predictable and – most frustratingly – unbelievable: a true crime for a man whose real life could provide more than enough ups and downs to fill an hour of stand-up.