Gary Little: At Large - Radio 4 release for ex-con's jail tales
- Gary Little has recorded his debut Radio 4 stand-up series, in which he reflects upon his life in and out of prison
- In Gary Little: At Large, the Glaswegian comic recalls how he inherited his ability to spin a yarn from his mother's white lies
- "I was surprised that it happened at my time of life and I hope that people can understand my accent but it's been great" said Little. "Hopefully they can appreciate that I'm not just defined by my past"
Gary Little has landed his first Radio 4 series, sharing stand-up tales about his life in and out of prison, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
Gary Little: At Large will begin airing on May 1st. The four 15-minute episodes find the comic reflecting upon growing up poor in Glasgow, how he began drug dealing and was eventually incarcerated for eight years in his thirties. After rebuilding his life as a comedian, he was subsequently jailed for seven months for selling stolen books on eBay in 2008.
In the opening episode of At Large, the keen hillwalker and antiques watch collector explains how he inherited his capacity for lying and storytelling from his mother and how his criminal tendencies began with pirated cassettes and VHS tapes, as well as a spot of backstreet butchery. The series concludes with the 60-year-old talking about the death of his father.
"I'm really excited for it" Little told BCG. "I was surprised that it happened at my time of life and I hope that people can understand my accent but it's been great. Hopefully they can appreciate that I'm not just defined by my past."
At Large is produced by fellow stand-up Julia Sutherland (Breaking The News) for Dabster Productions (The John Moloney Show, Njambi McGrath - Black Black). It was recorded at The Stand comedy club in Glasgow last month.
Little and Sutherland previously adapted the former's prison experiences into the 2017 BBC Radio Scotland series Jail Mates, in which he played a new prisoner and Sutherland the recently divorced woman he corresponds with. The four-part series followed a stage version that the pair took to the Edinburgh Fringe the previous year. Taking a year off from the festival this year, Little is seeking to pursue further acting opportunities.
As BCG revealed in February, Little follows Scott Agnew as a Glaswegian comic landing an autobiographical Radio 4 stand-up series in the run up to the Scottish city hosting the annual BBC Comedy Festival next month. Other Glaswegian acts to have had stand-up shows commissioned by the channel in recent years include Janey Godley, Ashley Storrie, Stuart Mitchell and Jamie MacDonald.
Little is currently touring his show Still Here, with his next performance on April 27th at the Cumbernauld Theatre.