Some of you may not know this, but it was ‘bring your child to work day’ today… if you were a comic. I remember the day well when our eldest Matthew was younger…. 21 to be precise. He was back from university and got to see his Dad work/perform at Battersea Jongleurs in London AND he got to take his uni mates too.
Its not often that comics get to take their children to work; its not often that kids of comics, magicians and jugglers are proud of their parents… well no that’s not true. There is an age where it is very cool that your Dad can do tricks; and then a little bit older and its funny when your Dad can tell cheeky jokes and then as you get a little older still it’s a bit embarrassing that your Dad doesn’t have a proper job and THEN there is a time when your mates don’t believe what your Dad does for a living. And THEN its cool again to tell friends what your Dad does.
I think we have been unbelievably lucky that our kids have never been that embarrassed… well not by their Dad anyway. So I remember with fondness and excitement that Matt wanted to take his uni mates to an adult comedy club…. Not sure what, if anything Matt remembers.
And now with a new show, a new style of audience, a new club in a new country it was time to take the next two to see their Dad work.
Wow, as I write this I think of amazing friends who have come with us to comedy clubs, to see Keith’s act oh and the other comics on the bill too of course; a time for Keith to work but for friends to ‘let their hair down’. I remember the same club in Battersea taking the lovely Shepherds, Merrivales and Marshalls – what a night listening to Michael Smiley with our vicar, youth worker and dentist!
But I digress – who was in the audience tonight – many many new friends who have supported us, laughed and cried with us on this journey over the last 5 years – neighbors, entertainers, magicians, church friends and even good old Mr Burns.
I like to watch the audience during a show (many reasons for that one!) For me tonight, the folk to watch was our amazing son Oliver back from uni for the evening watching his Dad on stage, having brought his mates from Uni – similar to when Matt brought his friends, but not so much time spent in the bar. AND also in the audience, well in fact on camera filming the show was our beautiful daughter, who I’m not sure got paid and I hope took some good footage not letting the camera wobble with her laughter – all there to see the amazing, hilarious, the love of my life MR KEITH FIELDS….. encore encore