Dream Show: Lee Kyle

Founded during lockdown by a group of North East comedians, Felt Nowt has grown into a region-wide comedy co-op producing gigs, workshops, podcasts, and outreach. Built on DIY values and community spirit, the company reinvests profits into local projects, creating work for performers and opportunities for audiences. Five years in, it continues to champion grassroots comedy with a focus on sustainability, collaboration, and regional pride.

Ahead of their fifth birthday, we asked one of Felt Nowt’s founding members, Lee Kyle, to tell us what their perfect birthday bas would look like… 

So, it is Felt Nowt’s fifth birthday soon. I’m Lee Kyle, comedian and one of the directors. What is Felt Nowt? Sorry, I forgot to tell you.

It is the world’s only CIC/Co-op owned and run by comedians and is based right here in the North East, all of our members live in one of the three counties of the region.

You should come and see us.

My dream gig is tricky because I’ve been doing stand up for sixteen years so, in reality, I’d probably just sit in the green room chatting and slagging the other acts off.

So, I’m going to base the acts on that at least as much as how good they are. In fact, I’ll hardly be taking that into account at all.

Okay, for this gig I am assuming that I am in one of my moods. I’m fairly happy go lucky these days but, for one night only, I’m in a huff.

Matt Reed is the compere, yeah he’s very funny at asking what you do for a loving and such and he’ll set the room up very well but he will also tell me at length about comedians who shouldn’t be on telly and he has a cracking anecdote about a comedian years ago asking a crowd why they didn’t get him. They did, they just didn’t like it.

Cal Halbert opens the show, he’s not drinking anymore so is pretty chirpy these days but let me tell you, for a shiny floor impressionist he’s happy to absolutely decimate the credibility of any comedian when they aren’t in the room. Solid and reliable.

After the first break, here is Neil Harris, a very nice and very funny nerdy man who holds a grudge like nobody I’ve ever met. He’ll start off a bit quiet but then I’ll remind him about the man who tweeted negatively about him in 2017 and watch him go. Take that @twitfacephil even though, by Neil’s own admittance, you were probably right.

Second break, we’ve started to turn on each other.

Louise Young is on last, she’s actually very positive on the whole but we are from the same estate so I know which buttons to push. She does a very good job but, for some reason, when we gig together, she always tells the audience that she is Harry Enfield’s niece for our own amusement. She does that again, they look bemused. I’m having a lovely time.

I think, if I had one gig left, it’d be this one.

Find out what show’s are coming up via Felt Nowt’s website and get your tickets for Keep Standing Up (Tyne To Stand Up 4) on Sunday 8th March here.