A breastfeeding mother who attended a Melbourne comedy show was reduced to tears when popular comedian Arj Barker kicked her out for ‘disrupting his performance’.
Barker asked mum Trish Faranda and her seven-month-old baby to leave about 15 minutes into his show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival on Saturday evening.
Ms Faranda insisted her baby ‘wasn’t screaming, she was just being a baby – she gurgled a bit, she had a bit of a whinge…nothing loud’ when they were told to get out.
An attendee, David, told Radio 3AW that Barker ‘stopped the show and said “can you take this baby outside?” and the crowd wasn’t sure whether he was serious.’
‘It was unbelievably awkward.’
A festival attendee claimed Arj Barker (above) ‘badgered’ the breastfeeding woman who was on a night out with her sister
A group of people left the show after the awkward confrontation.
In a statement issued on Monday, Barker put the blame on staff at the Athenaeum Theatre for seating the mum and child.
‘This show is strictly age 15 plus as clearly stated on the ticket site,’ Barker said.
‘She had an infant with her. The baby was disrupting my performance.
‘On behalf of the other 700 people who paid to see the gig, I politely told her the baby couldn’t stay.
‘She thought I was kidding, which made the exchange a bit awkward.
‘I felt bad about the whole situation and stated this on the night more than once. I offered her a refund.
‘Theatre staff should not have seated a baby in my audience in the first place.’
Barker performed his new show Mind Field at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre from March 28 to April 21
Many Aussies slammed the comic’s actions online, branding his actions ‘disgusting’.
‘Can confirm, I was at this Arj Barker show. It was absolutely disgusting,’ one witness said.
But others came to Barker’s defence, claiming stand-up is not an appropriate place to bring a baby.
‘Come on people! Who takes a newborn to a show? The comedian has worked hard his whole life to get to this point.’
Added another: ‘I was at this show. He asked her nicely at the start as the cries were distracting him and she declined. I think he had the right to ask.’
Barker is best-known for his appearances on various television shows, including The Glass House and Thank God You’re Here.
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival said Barker was independently produced and that the venue was not managed by the festival.
‘However, any interaction between performers and their audiences require sensitivity and respect,’ a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
‘In our festival managed venues, babes in arms are generally allowed but we do ask people to sit up the back with their child so they can quickly and easily leave if the baby gets noisy so as not to disturb the artist and other patrons.’
Daily Mail Australia has sought further comment from Barker.
