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It's a good thing Friends will be there when it hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year.
And by that we mean, Chandler, Joey, Monica, Phoebe, Rachel and Ross will literally be there for you when they take to the stage for Friends! The Musical Parody.
Based on the hit NBC sitcom, Friends! The Musical Parody celebrates the misadventures of this beloved group of 20-somethings as they navigate the pitfalls of work, life and love in 1990s Manhattan.
In 90 minutes, the stage production will cover the show's 10 seasons, from the moment a seemingly normal day at Central Perk coffee shop was interrupted by a runaway bride, right through moments that include a Christmas armadillo, a debate about whether or not Rachel and Ross were on a break, and an altered rendition of Smelly Cat.
One of the most common questions Belinda Jenkin, who plays Phoebe, gets asked is "Will Smelly Cat make an appearance?".
After all, this is a musical version of the TV show and along with the theme song - I'll Be There For You by The Rembrandts - Smelly Cat is one of the most recognisable songs. (There is even an Easter egg on Google that allows you to play the song when you search "Phoebe").
So why is Jenkin playing an altered rendition of the Phoebe Buffay classic, rather than the original?
"There are copyright issues between the TV show and the rights for us to do a musical version of Friends," she says.
"So I can sing half of the song, but not the whole thing. So I do an interpretation. It's similar to it but different enough for us to get away with it."
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It's a fine line that the producers of Friends! The Musical Parody have had to walk. A line between reminding fans of all the iconic moments - or at least, as many as they can in 90 minutes - while still keeping within copyright limitations.
And the key, at least according to Jenkin, is being able to string those key moments together in a way that perhaps shines a light on elements of the original show that fans may not have picked up the first time around.
"It's super important to do our homework and work out what the characters' certain mannerisms are," she says.
"But then because we're in a parody land, they're heightened. It's a balance of respecting what that character did but heightening it enough for the audience to go 'Oh my gosh, I didn't realise they did that in the show. That's so funny.'"
It's been almost two decades since the sitcom's finale aired and there is still a strong love for the series. And with it still on featured on streaming services, fans often find themselves rewatching it.
Fans including Tyran Stig - who now has the task of portraying Ross on stage.
But even though he has finished the series multiple times over - (and even as this story goes to print, he is in the process of watching it again) - it wasn't until the actor landed the part of Ross that he started to see the character in a new light.
"I remember reading an article a long, long time ago, where he was voted the most hated TV character in TV history just because he was so annoying. And I think reading that article at a younger age, I was like, yeah, why would I like Ross?" Stig says.
"I was always a big like Chandler and Phoebe fan but since I've had to go back and watch him pretty thoroughly and in detail, I have fallen in love with him. I think he is amazing, specifically David Schwimmer. I think he's just an absolute genius."
Friends! The Musical Parody is at Canberra Theatre Centre from Wednesday to Saturday. Tickets from $79.90 from canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
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