As Luck Would Have It

A musical comedy of perils from the insurgent abyss (dark, but with live bingo!)
By Drew Fairley

As Luck Would Have It begins as a piece of stand-up comedy observing the clash between land logic and cruise ship logic, but slides into an absurdist story of life and death, as one man navigates a perilous psychological journey accompanied only by the moon, an endless ocean, and his own demons.

On a mild day in March, a broken showman steps aboard a luxury cruise ship. For work. Just a little gig to pay the bills, maybe decompress a little, dust off his Hawaiian shirts, cuddle a few martinis, that kind of thing. The next day, a worldwide pandemic is declared. The ship is exiled into the middle of the Pacific Ocean with nothing but empty ballrooms for him to crack his jokes in. Trapped on the empty liner, he longs to escape, but the ocean has other plans…

Commissioned by Merrigong, As Luck Would Have It is inspired by playwright and actor Drew Fairley’s experiences being marooned on a cruise ship during the early months of the pandemic. It’s the odyssey of a man drumming up mirth while he grips onto the edge of a funnel that threatens to plunge him into the abyss. With songs!

In turns hilarious and devastating, this extraordinary new work leans into the absurdity of survival whilst sliding to the edge of reason.