From moody teenagers, to squabbling siblings and spouses feeling the strain, the potential for lockdown fall-outs is immense — and we’re only two weeks in.
But up and down the country some families are embracing our new normal to become unlikely stars of self-isolation and doing what the British do best; being upbeat, gung-ho, amateur entertainers.
Whether composing their own songs, or playing the piano as an octogenarian husband dances, unlikely stars are popping up all over the UK.
SARAH RAINEY meets some creators of these heart-warming and often downright hilarious online shows…
Songs, snacks and sparkly Spandex to beat the blues
Mum-of-two and parenting blogger Victoria Emes, from London, produced a video entitled I Will Self-Isolate, which also features her husband and two children, Oliver and Edith.
PERFORMANCE: This parody of the Gloria Gaynor song I Will Survive features Victoria dancing around her house in a sparkly blue leotard singing lines such as: ‘I should have bought that bag of rice / I should have stockpiled more loo roll’ and: ‘But I’ve got snacks / Plenty of gin / That home school schedule / Can go straight into the bin.’
APPLAUSE: 262,000 likes on Instagram. Search for @victoriaemes.
SHE SAYS: ‘I made the video for other mums struggling to cope during lockdown to say: “You are not alone.”
‘My advice — employ every coping strategy you can think of: dancing, cooking, singing, laughing . . . hiding in a cupboard for five minutes of peace. Whatever you need to do to survive this utter madness.
‘We’ll get there girls, one wine, crisp, chocolate biscuit, tear-saturated day at a time.’
Mum-of-two and parenting blogger Victoria Emes, from London, produced a video entitled I Will Self-Isolate, which also features her husband and two children, Oliver and Edith
Big message of love from a ‘Wee Granny’
Isla Anne from Edinburgh posted a video of her 93-year-old gran on her doorstep, telling her family she’s doing well during lockdown
Isla Anne from Edinburgh posted a video of her 93-year-old gran on her doorstep, telling her family she’s doing well during lockdown.
PERFORMANCE: ‘Hello everybody, I’m still here,’ she says.
‘I tell you I’m like a bad penny, there’s no getting rid of me. Hope you’re all keeping well and doing what you’re told. Keep to the rules and you’ll all be fine. It’ll all pass. Bye bye for now, love you all and think about you a lot.’
APPLAUSE: Nine million views on Twitter, and retweeted by stars such as Sheridan Smith and Elijah Wood. Search for ‘Wee Granny’ on Twitter.
SHE SAYS: ‘Wee Granny’ hasn’t addressed the nation since, but Isla Anne assures her fans she’s ‘still going strong’
Dancing in the streets led by a fitness teacher
Fitness instructor Janet Woodcock, 54, of Frodsham, near Chester, has taken staying fit in isolation to new levels by leading the neighbourhood in a ten-minute, 11am daily dance session.
PERFORMANCE: Each session starts with the Neighbours theme tune, followed by other specially chosen songs.
It might be Tom Jones belting out It’s Not Unusual, or the Stereophonics with Have A Nice Day — but always leading the rhythmic charge is Janet, arms waving, perpetually bouncy as neighbours join her in a very jolly, not always co-ordinated, dance class.
APPLAUSE: A couple of the films have had 7 million views. Search Twitter for @elsalwilliams.
JANET SAYS: ‘Some are working from home, but a lot of retired people tend to be reading and watching the news all day, and it can get very depressing. So it’s just nice to get people out in the fresh air. The way it’s brought us together is fabulous.’
Fitness instructor Janet Woodcock, 54, of Frodsham, near Chester, has taken staying fit in isolation to new levels by leading the neighbourhood in a ten-minute, 11am daily dance session
Musical family with new Les mis
The Marsh family from Faversham, Kent — dad Ben, 43, a history lecturer, mum Danielle, 42, a university administrator, and their four children, Alfie, 13, Thomas, 12, Ella, 10, and Tess, eight — have been dubbed the ‘Von Trapps of the social media age’.
The family, who’ve also recorded videos of themselves singing songs from the shows Tangled and Avenue Q, plus film A Star is Born, have been using lockdown to hone their skills — on piano, clarinet, cornet, violin, drums and bass guitar.
PERFORMANCE: A perfectly-harmonised version of the song One Day More from musical Les Miserables, with new lines such as ‘Another day, another destiny / Shopping for online delivery’ and ‘Will we ever meet our friends?’.
The lyrics were written by Ben, the song performed by the whole family — and, after just a couple of run-throughs, posted on Facebook last Sunday night.
APPLAUSE: 7.5 million and counting. Search for ‘Marsh family’ on YouTube.
THEY SAY: ‘It pulled on all the experiences people had been complaining about — like not being able to work or play football,’ says Ben.
‘Hopefully it will give parents an idea of how to keep the kids occupied.’ Danielle insists there are no plans to become a full-time family band — for now.
‘We’ve not got anything in mind at the moment.’
The family, who’ve also recorded videos of themselves singing songs from the shows Tangled and Avenue Q, plus film A Star is Born, have been using lockdown to hone their skills — on piano, clarinet, cornet, violin, drums and bass guitar
Fawlty Towers fine dining for kids
Filmmaker Ben Moore and his wife Ellie, who live in West Sussex with their three children, hosted a ‘fake posh dinner party’ for the kids, after he and Ellie’s date night was taken over.
Filmmaker Ben Moore and his wife Ellie, who live in West Sussex with their three children, hosted a ‘fake posh dinner party’ for the kids, after he and Ellie’s date night was taken over
PERFORMANCE: Clad in a tuxedo, with a tea towel over his arm, Ben waits on his son and daughter, who are sitting at a table decorated with flowers and candles, while ambient music plays in the background.
He presents his son with a carton of semi-skimmed milk, which he dutifully pours into a wine glass, saying: ‘Nice to meet a man with a taste for fine milk,’ before cutting up his daughter’s chicken and potatoes.
APPLAUSE: 3.1 million on Twitter. Search for @ bigbenmoore.
THEY SAY: Ben describes the evening as a ‘Fawlty Towers dinner party for the kids in lockdown’.
‘The wife and I decided to have a date night,’ he explains.
‘The kids soon got wind of this — so we switched it around.’
Quarantine choir find Psalm-thing to do
Couple John and Roxanne Gull, from Leicester, along with professional musician friends Francesca Burbela and Chris Haim, are all isolating together.
The choral quartet — featuring a bass, tenor, soprano and alto — worked on the lyrics together, choosing Psalm 151 as a favourite among worshippers unable to get together. With no choir robes available, they donned dressing gowns for the video.
PERFORMANCE: A topical version of Psalm 151, featuring lines such as: ‘For lo, the nation is adrift / The princes of the people have cast us from the pub’ and ‘Thy people do run about the shops in panic / They stockpile all the loo roll and the baked beans.’
APPLAUSE: 72,900 on YouTube. Search for the ‘John Gull’.
THEY SAY: ‘It started off as a bit of fun between the four of us,’ says Francesca.
John adds: ‘We hope our little video will help keep people’s spirits up. Churches are currently closed and congregations not able to meet, so we thought a little devotional music for meditation might bring church-goers a little breath of comfort in the dark and difficult days, weeks and months ahead.’
Couple John and Roxanne Gull, from Leicester, along with professional musician friends Francesca Burbela and Chris Haim, are all isolating together
Love of the piano key to Sal and Ken ’s coping strategy
Sally Gilmour, 86, and her husband Ken, 83, from Penzance in Cornwall, have been entertaining themselves by performing in their living room
Sally Gilmour, 86, and her husband Ken, 83, from Penzance in Cornwall, have been entertaining themselves by performing in their living room.
PERFORMANCE: Sally, a talented pianist, has mild dementia but plays beautifully without sheet music, while her agile husband Ken dances in the background.
A video, taken by their daughter Mary Wykes, who has been bringing them food and supplies during quarantine, went viral after it was posted online.
At the end of the poignant clip, Ken embraces Sally, kisses her on the head and says, ‘Lovely dear.’
APPLAUSE: 1.1 million on Instagram. Search for ‘Sally Gilmour piano’ on Google.
THEY SAY: Mary says her mum is a ‘fantastic musician’, while her dad has often gracefully performed as her ‘back-up dancer’.
Any time he hears his wife play, she adds, he can’t help but tap his feet.