Visiting pop singer Olivia Rodrigo wins new fans after Melbourne fall

Fans have been left shocked after US star Olivia Rodrigo fell through the stage while performing in Melbourne.

Rodrigo was belting out hits during her fourth and final Melbourne show at Rod Laver Arena on Monday night when the incident unfolded.

The 21-year-old pop singer was energetically moving across the stage when she suddenly disappeared from the view of concertgoers in video footage posted to social media.

Rodrigo fell through an open cavity* on the stage, with fans gasping* loudly as she went down.

“Oh my god, that was fun, I’m okay,” Rodrigo said, laughing off the tumble and immediately pulling herself back onto the stage.

“Wow. Sometimes there’s just a hole in the stage, that’s all right. OK. Where was I? How are we doing tonight, Melbourne?”

The concert continued seamlessly*, however many have since taken to social media to offer their support.

“Girl handled that like a champ,” one person commented.

“OMG poor Olivia,” another added.

“I’m glad she’s okay,” wrote another.

“She’s so brilliant for getting up and going on cuz I bet that hurt like hell!!” offered someone else.

Others said they would have been more upset had the same thing happened to them.

“OMG she handled that amazingly I would’ve started crying,” one person wrote.

Rodrigo will now head to Sydney, she’ll play four shows at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park.

The shows will kick off on Thursday, with the hugely popular Drivers License singer also playing Friday October 18, Monday October 21 and Tuesday October 22.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• cavity: hole, hollow, chamber, pocket of space
• gasping: catching one’s breath, often in surprise or pain
• seamlessly: smoothly, without interruption or difficulty

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QUICK QUIZ

1. Where was Rodrigo performing and in which capital city when the incident occurred?
2. How many shows did the star perform while she was there?
3. How old is Rodrigo?
4. Was she able to finish the rest of the concert?
5. Where is she performing next?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Stage antics
While famous singer Olivia Rodrigo got on with the show like a true professional, what ramifications might there be after this stage mishap?

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What action might her management team take?

Who may be responsible for the trapdoor on the stage malfunctioning?

How do you think Olivia would have felt after the show or the next day?

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
If you were Olivia’s parents or manager, what health checks would you get her to undertake after a stage mishap such as this?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there when Olivia Rodrigo fell.

Create a conversation between two characters – you may need or want to include yourself as one of them. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.

Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.