Primary school kids and preschoolers are in for a treat when singing, dancing tiger Pevan and his exuberant sidekick Sarah return to Geelong Arts Centre (GAC).
Blending music, dance, entertainment and education, Pevan and Sarah have been helping kids learn through fun and laughter for a decade.
This month they embark on their fourth annual national tour, with Geelong the second stop in a run of 38 shows in 27 towns and cities across the country.
But the show’s creators, husband and wife duo Manny and Sarah Kechayas – both former teachers – never expected Pevan and Sarah to take over the children’s entertainment world.
“It started very grassroots, my husband and I writing songs for my current class at the time,” Sarah said.
“And as the years went on we developed these characters, we developed the songs and we saw the impact that music was having in the classroom and on the students.”
The pandemic proved to be a blessing in disguise for Pevan and Sarah, as the entire education world scrambled to adapt to online learning.
“We created these online resources and tools that were desperately needed,” Sarah said.
“We just found ourselves in a position to be able to provide what teachers needed, and so it just grew from there, to the point where we now employ a team of ex-teachers.
“None of us are in the classroom anymore, but we’re very closely connected to what’s going on in education and the current climate.”
Their online music and video platform Cub Club, which has garnered multiple awards and millions of views, is now used by hundreds of thousands of children and educators across the country on a daily basis.
Sarah said she and Manny “never imagined” their creation would become so successful but were “very grateful that it did”.
“I think what we’ve learned is to follow the pattern and rhythm that we had in the classroom and really let it be student-driven, child-led,” she said.
“Our audience is mostly five, six, maybe seven years old… and if they don’t like something you’ll definitely know; you’ll lose their attention.
“So as teachers, we’ve installed every trick in the book that we learnt in the classroom to keep these kids engaged for the entire 50 minutes.”
The show is on October 13. Visit geelongartscentre.org.au/whats-on/all-events/pevan-and-sarah-2025 for tickets and more information.
