Drew Fairley - As Luck Would Have It
Drew Failey
Perhaps for the first time in human history creatives have a unique opportunity to create artworks which every single person can relate with. A prime example of this is playwright/comedian Drew Fairley's upcoming Merrigong Theatre production, As Luck Would Have It, which was created following his experience being exiled from Australia whilst aboard a cruise ship.
Speaking to Pario during the first week of rehearsals for the show Drew reflected on the experiences which inspired the show.
"The day before the first lockdown started in March 2020 I boarded a cruise ship for my very first job on a cruise ship... The very next day ship shutdown for a couple of weeks while still docked in Sydney but then eventually we got exiled from Australia & suddenly I was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean crossing the Equator when I really thought I was going to step off a few days later."
That experience would then go on to become a multiple month long ordeal. During his time aboard the exiled ship Drew said the crew aboard the ship were allowed to roam relatively freely, provided everybody tested negative at the daily COVID testing, but it was still a far from normal cruising experience.
"The whole ship had been shut down, so all of the ballrooms & theatres had all been packed up & wrapped in plastic," Drew recalled. "It was like living in a floating warehouse."
Upon return to Australian soil Drew then had to complete 14 days of hotel quarantine in Sydney before being allowed to return home. Although quarantine was more restrictive in one sense Drew says it was also liberating in another, "On the ship there was either no internet or very bad internet, so when I was suddenly in a hotel in Sydney with 5G I was in 7th heaven - I loved that hotel!"
Despite these challenges Drew was able to see the funny side in his experience & created the Actual Cabin Actual Fever video series.
Sadly that was not the end of the experience for Drew. While Drew was in hotel quarantine he was given the devastating news that his mother had passed away & then shortly after that his Dad had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. So as Drew told Pario, "Although the ship was traumatic it was simply the beginning of a very traumatic couple of years."
However, Drew explained that he has always had the mindset that "creativity & creation can balance out the destruction in your life." A mindset which certainly played into the development of As Luck Would Have It, which has woven the "bonkers" elements from Actual Cabin Actual Fever together with the "dark cloud & trauma" of his COVID experience.
"I really think that during the worst times in people's lives if they write a beautiful song or create an amazing dance or even just do the garden nicely they will inevitably feel better because they can look at something they've made... I'm putting my experience out there though because I think there is something to be learned from watching a show like this & having people connecting it to their own experiences."
The ability for audiences to connect with Drew's experience has never been greater than it is now. Over the past few years everybody has a shared experience with COVID, lockdowns, restrictions etc.
"If you've been on social media recently you are seeing comedy where people, not just comedians, have just gotten to a point where they have to laugh at the situation they are in," explained Drew. "It's weirdly un-unique. COVID & COVID restrictions have been the great leveller. It doesn't matter where you stand on the spectrum when it comes to restrictions, vaccines or masks etc everybody has put a lot of time & energy into this shared experience. This is an important time for humanity because never before could I look at any single person & know at least a part of how they have felt. "
Looking ahead to the performances at the Merrigong Theatre in Wollongong Drew hopes the audience has one take away from As Luck Would Have It.
"At the end of the day I hope that people really have a good laugh & really feel good about themselves after the show."
July 27-Aug 6. Merrigong's IPAC - Bruce GordonTheatre, 32 Burelli St, Wollongong. $39-$59+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.merrigong.com.au
Follow Drew's Creative Journey on Social Media @Droozah
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