Itâs a little nod to Wayneâs World, but instead of âparty time, excellentâ (if you are aware of the cult nineties classic) I will be diving into one WORD each day. It could be something I learned, something bizarre that happened, a favourite word that I have rediscovered or just a thought that wonât leave me alone.
If youâre joining in on todayâs word, feel free to use this tag to connect your post to the series: #WaynesWord
Todayâs word is CRIKEY.
Crikey! Now thereâs a word that just makes you smile. It has that perfect mix of surprise and good humour, the kind of thing you can almost hear in an Aussie accent before itâs even been said. Most famously, of course, it was Steve Irwinâs trademark exclamation, the Crocodile Hunter himself, bounding across the outback with infectious enthusiasm.
Crikey is an old-fashioned expression of astonishment or disbelief, much like blimey or goodness me. Apparently it started out as a polite way to avoid saying âChrist,â which would have been considered too strong or blasphemous in the 19th century. So people softened it and crikey was born.
It is still very much used in Australia and the UK, though maybe a bit tongue-in-cheek these days. It is cheerful, harmless, and just a bit theatrical, perfect for today as we are heading to the theatre today to watch one of our all time favourite musicals, RENT! Will let you know how it goes. Enjoy your Sunday everyone!
I want to share with you my experience of seeing this musical and hopefully inspire you to go also đđź. Iâm not sure if you have heard of this one as itâs relatively new so I will give a quick synopsis soon. First of all, being back in the theatre to see any show was such a novelty and a welcome back to normality. Itâs one thing that I have really missed, live entertainment. I used to work in a theatre in Belfast, The Grand Opera House and it was from there, where my love for theatre began and grew. Being able to see every show that entered the Opera House many, many times was such a treat, especially the musicals as theyâre right up my street. Anyway, being able to return to the theatre for a musical that I have been dying to see for ages was a real joy 𤊠(postponed so many times due to covid). Even just having a drink at the theatre bar was amazing!
Come From Away takes place from 11th September 2001 (can you believe itâs 20 years ago?) over a few days and tells the remarkable true story of those stranded after the events that occurred that day. Iâm sure we all remember or know about the 9/11 attacks and the Twin Towers/Pentagon etc. However, you may not be as familiar with the aeroplanes that could not land as they were diverted due to the American airspace having completely shut down.
A total of 38 aeroplanes were told to land suddenly in the small town of Gander in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon (to clear the American airspace). The characters in the musical are based on real Gander residents who rallied around to help the 7,000 stranded travelers that had just landed there. They found them accommodation, provided food for the people and showed great kindness and hospitality. People were stranded there for several days and it managed to double the entire population of Gander temporarily. On a side note, those people not from Gander are known locally as those who âcome from awayâ. Interesting fact âđ˝.
I wonât say too much as I donât want to spoil it for you but the story is really fascinating and one that I had never heard before. The music is amazing, really uplifting and memorable and tells the story wonderfully. It makes you realise also how far we have come from that time space, for example, no one really having mobile phones then, making it harder to call loved ones etc when in a time of panic and uncertainty.
If youâre looking for a night out that lifts your spirits and highlights the kind nature of human beings in troublesome times, then this is the show for you! I feel like we can all relate to this in some way, especially now with us living through a pandemic and needing to be empathetic with one another.
This musical is only 1 hour and 40 minutes long with no interval. So bring your drinks and snacks in with you. We saw this at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, one of my favourite venues so far in Sydney đ¤Š.
Please let me know if you have seen this also or if you plan to see in the nearby future.
WrookieSchU 