The decision by comedian Arj Barker to ask a mother and her seven-month-old daughter to leave his comedy show on Saturday night has sparked a debate within entertainment circles over whether babies and live shows can ever successfully mix.
Meshel Laurie, co-host of comedy podcast Can We Be Real? and mother of 14-year-old twins, believes babies do not belong at stand-up shows. She argues that they are unpredictable and can be disruptive to both the performers and the audience.
On the other hand, Gen Fricker, who will be performing at the Sydney Comedy Festival in May, says she has performed in front of babies with no problem in the past. She believes that much of the beauty of a live show comes from the unplanned moments or audience interaction, which can include babies.
Morry Morgan, founder of Melbourne’s Hard Knock Knocks comedy school, defends Barker’s decision to ask the pair to leave. He says that comedians have a job to do and that they should not be expected to cater to audience members who are causing a distraction.
According to chief executive of Live Performance Australia Evelyn Richardson, policies around underage audience members can differ across the live event sector depending on the type of performance, its content, the audience, and venue. She says that performers are within their rights to ask audience members to quieten, move, or leave if they’re causing a distraction to their performance on stage.
Most performers will include an age restriction for their shows, which oftentimes refers to the appropriateness of the content. For example, Barker’s show was advertised as 15+.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to bring a baby to a live show is up to the individual parent or guardian. They should make reasonable enquiries to inform themselves about the content and suitability of the show for their child.
