No kid-ding: Is it okay to get children to comedy shows? Comedians weigh in

Earlier this week comedian Vir Das had an unpopular request for parents donrsquot bring your kids to standup shows Das who is performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe posted an Instagram story about a couple who brought their threeyearold to his show Although they insisted that she wonrsquot understand a word the comedian pointed out that on the off chance that she does itrsquos uncomfortable for him and the audience Recognising that itrsquos difficult to arrange for childcare he reiterated that a comedy show is no place for a kid mdash a sentiment echoed by other comedians and comedy club ownersA harsh callWhen it comes to the content at a show where a kid might be present comedian Punit Pania jokes that theyrsquore exposed to worse on the TV But the biggest issue in his book is distraction ldquoWhile you can be empathetic about the lack of child care options the problem is when kids are agitated a joke can fall flat You might have built up to it and it ruins everybody elsersquos experiencerdquo The comedian has encountered parents showing up with kids despite age restrictions ldquoIdeally in such cases we deny permission or ask them to leave but thatrsquos the last resort because itrsquos a comedy show You want people to have a good time But on rare occasions we have to be harsh as people tend to be shameless if a child is crying in the middle of a show the parents continue to sit Thatrsquos selfishrdquoDistractions not welcomeVulgar language or content isnrsquot an issue at shows helmed by Amit Tandon known for his brand of familyfriendly humour The comedian however discourages parents from bringing kids under the age of seven or eight ldquoMost of the time they donrsquot enjoy the show Itrsquos not like therersquos music in the show that can drown out any noise Itrsquos just me with a mic So even if someone starts talking on their phone itrsquos distracting for everyone That is why kids are a challenge in comedy showsrdquo If parents do bring along a toddler his team offers them a refund If they donrsquot agree then the parents are asked to take a seat close to the door so they can walk out if the kid makes any noiseLogistical challengeSumendra Singh founder of That Comedy Club states that they only allow audience members above the age of 18 ldquoSometimes parents tell us their kid is just about 18 or they are coming to the show as a family Then they have to be accompanied by a consenting adult who has to agree to the terms and conditionsrdquo he reveals With respect to younger kids Singh shares that the problem he faces as a producer is logistical more than the content of jokes Comedy clubs are small cramped spaces with big speakers and not ideal for kids at all Singh points outAge mattersJudom Pereira who runs the comedy venue Dorangos in Bandra tells us they do not allow anyone below the age of 18 ldquoEven if parents come and give us their consent we are strict about it and do not allow them This policy is stated on the ticketing platform toordquo he adds They usually check with young audiences about their age and sometimes also ask for their ID On certain occasions when a comedian lists their show with the age criteria below 18 they are held up for itCanrsquot look at kids in the eyeStandup comedian Kajol Srinivasan reveals that kids as young as two or three are rarely seen at comedy shows However they sometimes end up being part of the audience at cafeacutes or private shows The comic admits feeling uncomfortable cracking vulgar jokes in front of 16to18yearolds as these teens do tend to slip into shows ldquoIf they are in the front row I canrsquot look them in the eye They are also shy and avoid my eyes I try to do other content insteadrdquo she shares Srinivasan recalls an instance when she was asked to perform for a private show organised by a builder Although they promised her an ambience wherein she could deliver any kind of jokes Srinivasan realised on stage that the crowd comprised families mdash with kids and grandparents in tow ldquoThese things happen and you get by with crowd work At comedy clubs however our shows are held with the expectation that the audience is 18plus the only time wersquore probably asked to tweak content is at a cafeacute because you donrsquot know who is in the audience Unless you want to be completely shameless and make others uncomfortable you do try to hold backrdquo she reveals