Interview: Stevie Gray comedian and MC at Comedy in the Caves

Thanks for chatting to Left Lion, Stevie. Let's dive straight in. You’ve recently taken over the Whistle and Flute as a comedy venue. How did that come about?

Previously, there were comedy nights in the caves run by the wonderful Ian Whitcombe.  However, he has since moved to very rural Scotland. Having played the caves twice as a comedian; I knew that it would be criminal to not do everything in my power to resurrect a comedy night in the caves.

What makes the Whistle and Flute so different to other venues in the city?

Nottingham has so much variety in wonderful venues for comedy, from huge theatres to small compact rooms above pubs. However, the Whistle and Flute has an underground room in one of Nottingham’s caves. There’s definitely something magical about watching a performance in such a unique setting.

So what does your role with the venue entail?

I’m taking over the venue as the Comedy Promoter and will be the resident MC for the first few shows. I’ve been performing since 2008 but have spent the past 10 years really trying to learn how to MC any comedy room, as well as comedy clubs, I have been cutting my teeth in theatres, music festivals, arts centres and working men’s clubs.

If my vision comes true, and we can make Comedy in the Caves a successful monthly event, I will also look at bringing in guest MC’s to help diversify the lineups on offer, and keep the shows fresh for returning audience members.

What can audiences expect from the night?

The first night is on Friday March 13th.  My aim is to bring 3 Headline level acts and a professional (headline level) MC to Nottingham, in a 100 seater room at an affordable price.  

The first night will be headlined by Nick Page, who as well as spending 2 decades at the top of the comedy circuit, has also wowed the Britain’s Got Talent judges and won the prestigious English Comedian of the Year award.

Opening the show is David Eagle. David is a blind musical comedian, who has recently had his own Radio 4 series, as well as appearing numerous time on ‘The Now Show.’  If you’ve never seen David’s act before, it is unlike anything else on the circuit, totally unique and unquestionably hilarious.

Dawn Bailey will be performing in the middle spot; often dubbed “The Female Peter Kay”, Dawn is often found headlining comedy nights around the UK with her blend of warm and relatable (if not cheekily rude) anecdotes.

To keep our promise of wanting a top-class comedy night at an affordable price, from April onwards, we will be bringing triple headliner lineups for a wallet pleasing £12. However as a first night special offer, tickets for the March gig are available at the astonishingly low price of just £10.

Why is Flat Cap Comedy so named? 

I started losing my hair in my 20’s, and had a number of cheeky heckles from the audience about it.  At the time, I was extremely self-conscious about this; and my crowd work skills weren’t anywhere near as honed as they are today to deal with it; so I decided to wear a flat cap to avoid any such heckles!  As well as preventing the heckles, it also really suited the image I was trying to portray on stage.  The cap soon became synonymous with my act, and would form part of my onstage costume.  When it came to naming my comedy promoting business, there was no better name for me.

You’re a comedian yourself. Why made you go into comedy?

I’ve always been a huge fan of comedy and especially stand-up.  As a teenager in the 90’s, I used to record any stand up that I could find on the TV, as well as collecting as many VHS, DVD’s and CD’s as I could.

Throughout my late teens and early twenties, I always thought I’d like to give it a try, but  a voice in my head would say, “I could never do that.”  If anybody reading this feels the same, trust me,  you can do it. There’s techniques you can apply that can make anybody at least have a go at open mic and garner a few laughs.

And how did you get started in comedy?

I was working in an office, and one day I had to nip into the city centre to buy a new pair of football boots.  On the way, a gentleman handed me a leaflet and asked if I’d ever fancied having a go at stand-up comedy, as they were running a course that evening.

I went on the course, and as soon as I had received my first laugh for something I had written and performed, I was hooked.  I then went on a more intensive comedy course in London, and have spent the next 18 years travelling all over the UK to make people laugh.

How did your first ever stand-up gig go?

It was the showcase of the course, so it was packed out.  There were 200 plus people in Covent Garden, London, back in 2008. It could not have gone better. However, my second gig was a real eye opener. Playing to 8 people in a snooker hall in Aldershot on a Tuesday night. Out of the two gigs, I think the latter definitely gave me the more realistic view of how the next 18 years of my life would be spent!

You use music in your act, any particular reason?

There’s an old saying in showbiz that “All comedians want to be rockstars, and all rock stars want to be comedians.” I definitely feel that comedy has allowed me to live out my rock star dreams.

As a comedian, as long as whatever it is you are doing is making the audience laugh, they will generally forgive you if you aren’t the best singer, or the most talented musician.  In fact, in some cases, not being able to play or sing can actually make the performance even more hilarious.

What advice would you give anyone wanting to get into stand-up?

Don’t put it off, Give it a go. If it’s not for you, at least you have tried it.

We are blessed in this region, as there are so many venues that support live comedy, at all levels.  I would also argue that the East Midlands has the most supportive community of any region in the UK, and the region definitely has some of the best gigs.

For anybody wanting to prepare material for their first gig, I would advise you to write down any funny thoughts you have, and try to work out what it is you want to say.  Once you have that, you can join Facebook groups such as “East Midlands Comedy Circuit”, where you can introduce yourself and try to find some gigs, as well as meeting likeminded folk.

If you are really struggling, send me a message, and I’ll pass on all of the advice that I can to get you started.

What’s next for Flat Cap Comedy and for you?

The dream at this very moment is to establish Comedy in the Caves as a permanent fixture in the Nottingham gig scene, aiming to run every second Friday of the month. If that goes well, the next vision will be to expand the promoting business.

Flat Cap Comedy have established nights in Little Eaton and Enderby. But we have also recently taken on the Horse and Plough in Bingham, where we plan to run a monthly gig on the first Tuesday of the month.

Above all, myself and Flat Cap Comedy aim to bring Top Class comedy at an affordable price, to venues all over the East Midlands. We really hope that the local audiences will help us achieve our dreams by buying tickets to the shows.

Comedy in the Caves first night kicks off at the Whistle and Flute pub, Friday 13th of March 2026 from 7.00 pm onwards.