I was top of my class for every year I was at school. Not because I was particularly smart. But because I feared for my life. My father was a firm believer in a firm hand. If I stepped out of line, it wouldn’t be long before I would feel cold leather sear through my skin. My butt. My legs. My face. He had really bad aim.

So I spent all of my youth studying. My therapist says I spent all my life seeking approval from a father figure. Quack.

The eventual burnout came in my first year of an Engineering degree I didn’t want to do. I failed every subject. Except one. Drawing. Not only did I excel at Drawing, I was top of my class. Ironic. Long story short, I switched to a Business degree with a major in Marketing and Psychology and graduated. Barely.

One of the outcomes of spending all of that time with my head buried deep in text books, hiding in my father’s blind spot, was that I did not develop any social skills. The ability to relate to people. So I became an introvert. I’m still one today.

And that’s where the coffee world has been good for me. I could engage with people on a topic we had in common. And I’ve met really interesting people because of coffee. People like Keith Dallison.

I first came across Keith’s instagram page. Mark Zuckerberg’s algorithm suggested I follow him. After some stalking I concluded that he was a really interesting guy. I reached out to him and asked if we could meet. Grab a coffee, of course. And he agreed! This making friends thing, is super easy, I thought.

We had that coffee and a really enjoyable conversation. Like, really enjoyable. As enjoyable as listening to The Need for Coffee talk about Construction. But that’s a story for another day.

I remember thinking to myself that Instagram really is a lie. Keith Dallison is WAY more interesting in person.

Keith arrived in Dubai from the U.K. in 2002. To date, he has over 40 years of experience, working in Broadcast TV, and Entertainment.

Whilst with the BBC drama unit in the early nineties, he discovered editing. Learning the craft on drama series like Casualty and Between the Lines. Over the years he worked on both long and short formats including documentaries for Discovery and TV commercials for various agencies.

After moving to Dubai he won 2 Promax World Awards, and led an award winning Post Production team, for MBC Group.

Today Keith continues to edit and offer consultancy services in Video content Production and has more recently returned to acting, taking roles in Holly- wood, Bollywood, and Arabic feature films shot here in the UAE and Mumbai. He believes for which ever side of the camera he is on, it is all about creating engaging stories and giving the audience, a memorable experience.

Keith Ian Dallison was born on December 9th 1960 in Birmingham, England and grew up on the rural borders of Worcestershire and Southwest Birmingham.

His taste for acting began in a school production at the age of 7, and it continued right through his mid teens, joining theatrical groups and performing at local theatres including the Birmingham Hippodrome. Playing guitar became a huge interest, with a particular passion for bass when he started art school in the mid 70’s. Playing in several bands throughout his college years and beyond, Keith learned the technical side of stage light and sound. But continued to act with some extra work, for the BBC drama series, Casualty. But his technical skills was the introduction to the world of Broadcast TV, that was to become his home for the next 25 years.

Whilst starting out as an editor and eventually supervising a Post department, Keith could not stay away from being in front of the lens or microphone whenever the opportunity arose, lending his gravelly voice for animated characters and voice-overs. During 2005, whilst in Dubai, an opportunity arose to play a British Ambassador in a gangster, Pakistani drama series. The acting flame was rekindled, and performing and playing music whenever, was a must. Acting and voice coaching ensued in the following years, and now acting and performing take up most of his time.

2019, and living in Dubai, UAE, he has worked on short films namely, Sound of Two, and feature length films, Stranger, Jackie Chan’s Vanguard and a Yash Raj Films, Bollywood action movie. All padded out with numerous commercials and ad campaigns. Keith has two beautiful daughters, living in the UK, Michaela Jay, and Rosa Maria. Still playing bass, music continues to play a major feature in his life.

I’m glad I know Keith. Thank you coffee.