​The story so far...

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I did my first gig* back in late 2012; a five minute set, which, through my nerves, I ran through in about half the time. I hadn't planned on doing comedy at all, as I was then a performance poet, writing very serious poetry about addiction and angst, until a chance meeting with John Smith, who I shared a venue with. However, John persuaded me to give stand-up a go. I got enough laughs to make me want to do it again, and now, several years later, I'm still 'at it'.

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Highlights so far have been being runner-up in Leicester Comedy Festival's UK Pun Championships twice on the trot (I know) in 2017 & 2018 and being featured on Radio 4's 'Ross Noble's Newcastle'. I was invited to be on BBC Newcastle's 'Jesting About' for two successive years. I also reached the heats of the BBC New Comedy Awards in 2015. I took my first show, Jokebox, to Edinburgh in 2018. This year, I have also reached the heats of Petfringe, which has the largest prize of any UK comedy competition.

 

I have played some lovely gigs at The Stand, Hot Water, The Comedy Store (Manchester), The Glee Club, Buzz Comedy, Monkey Barrel, Hilarity Bites, Comedy Lounge (Hull), Cottingham Comedy Club, Downstairs At The King's Head, Laughing Penguin, Ten Feet Tall, Coast, Shoe Cake Comedy, Laughing Pug and Fat Lip, among many others.

 

I have been fortunate enough to gig alongside people like Gary Delaney, Scott Bennett, Jason Cook, Andy Askins, Carl Hutchinson, Noel James, John Hastings, Alistair Barrie, Mary Bourke, Dan Nightingale, Sindhu Vee, Will Franken and a load more funny men and women.

 

Testimonials & Industry Quotes:



He's got jokes that make me hurt laughing - Jason Cook



Sharp and droll one-liner merchant, Lee is a formidable talent - Giggle Beats



His clever word play had people howling.  He served them up in quick succession and the audience ate them up - The Shields Gazette



Julian Lee meanwhile is a wordsmith of real invention - The Crack

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Pay-offs that you couldn't see coming - Beyond The Joke



​Clever word play, sharp observation, near the knuckle vignettes, puns aplenty, cheeky asides, confident performance, easily created rapport, yet also a sense of a humility - Fringe Review





* My first ever gig was circa 1996; a one-off gig I did at the old comedy cafe at the bottom of Westgate Road. I was much more of a hedonist then. I took to the stage, let's say 'worse for wear' and leave it at that, and made an absolute dick of myself. I was on after Simon Pegg (yes, I know; whatever happened to him?) and before Rich Hall. When he tried to get on stage, as I had overstayed my welcome, I told him, "Don't be so fuckin' impatient." As I was a body builder with bleached hair at the time, I must have presented quite the sight for our North American visitor. I stayed away from comedy for nearly two decades after that.