Nestled into the little-known Ground Floor Comedy space at The Terrarium, awaited by rows of hanky-clad empty seats, a small but enthusiastic audience filed into Jarryd Prain’s The Hanky Code.

Part stand-up comedy, part educational seminar - Prain takes us on a learning journey into the world of colour-coded sex acts that once only parks, public bathrooms and shifty night clubs were privy to. Prain as our teacher and confidant is witty, coquettish and matter-of-fact in the way he describes a far-reaching gay plight of debauchery that transcends decades. Integrating tales of first-hand experience in the queer dating mine-field, with a historic understanding of the code’s nuances surrounding sexual practices, desires and roles, we learn that the rainbow stands for a lot more than just a general “LGBTQIA+” vibe.

In The Hanky Code, Prain proudly affirms that although sex can be gloriously messy and spontaneous, the gay community’s systematic categorisation of it is just as precise as ever. With the code as our map and Prain as our captain, we weave our way through a maze of hook-ups, saunas, dating apps, celibacy, freaks and mile-high lovers that can’t help but leave you reflecting on your own life experience. Somehow managing to make Lea Michele on Broadway the most controversial topic in a work that references major political events, terrorist plots and deeply personal vulnerabilities, Prain’s comedic style catches us off-guard with frank hilarity.

It’s clear Prain has carefully crafted his show down to the last crisp, crimson hanky. Whether you’re gay, straight, fun, boring or a bisexual that’s everywhere, The Hanky Code is worth a watch - you just might learn something.