Local piano man Andy Pobjoy is one of Geelong’s best loved and most well known entertainers.
Owner and manager of the vibrant and inclusive Piano Bar, where he can often be found delighting crowds from behind the keyboard, Pobjoy is a veteran of the cruise ship entertainment world.
His experiences tickling the ivories while sailing across the world, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, form the backbone of his new musical theatre work Sail Away – The (Lockdown) Cruise Musical.
Pobjoy will unveil his new musical for the first time on Monday 15 December at the Piano Bar, delivering a live reading with the full cast of local performers.
“Piano Bar Geelong exists because I fell in love with music, with people, and with storytelling while performing as a piano-bar entertainer on ships many years ago,” he said.
“Now, as someone who headlines on multiple luxury cruise lines each year, I’ve continued to hear stories that deserve to live in a musical.
“And when the pandemic hit – when crew were trapped at sea unsure if or when they’d get home – I knew this was something I had to write.”
The new work, which features 16 original songs written by Pobjoy, has been supported by Geelong Arts Centre Creative Engine’s Ignition grant program.
Exploring what life is really like for those working on cruise ships, the musical follows six crew members whose lives collide as the world goes into crisis.
“Sail Away shows the joy and absurdity of cruise life,” Pobjoy said.
“But it’s also about what happened when the world closed its doors and crew suddenly found themselves stuck at sea with no way home. Those stories deserve to be told with honesty, humour, and heart.”
Visit eventbrite.com.au/o/piano-bar-geelong-8174129156 for tickets and more information.
