The Coronacoaster of lockdown
- Go back
- 10th Jun 20
This may well be one of the most popular phrases to come out of lockdown, mainly because it expresses what each of us feels at different stages of the week. One minute you are doing PE with Joe, perfecting your sourdough and pouring yourself a Quarantini Cocktail and the next you are eating chocolate for breakfast and crying over not seeing people that you didn’t much like anyway. One thing is for sure, lockdown has its downs, but also many ups. So, let’s celebrate some of the brightest moments.
Harry Potter at Home
Fans of the wizarding world will be blown away by Daniel Radcliffe’s reading of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Bringing Hogwarts to your doorstep is Harry Potter at Home, a hub where you can find all the latest magical treats to keep you occupied with fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and special guest appearances from the likes of Stephen Fry, David Beckham, Dakota Fanning, Claudia Kim and Eddie Redmayne amongst others.
The return of Richard and Judy
They were the King and Queen of daytime TV for more than 13 years as presenters on This Morning. Now they are back to help the British public through lockdown with a programme on Channel 4 that recommends books to read during the pandemic. Richard & Judy: Keep Reading and Carry On was filmed from the couple's home and airs over a single week; if you miss it, there’s plenty of segments shared to YouTube. As well as being presenters, the couple are well known for their hugely popular Richard and Judy Book Club and have propelled many authors into the spotlight. The show features book reviews and discussions with celebrity guests such as Emilia Fox and authors such as Adam Kay, who penned the best-selling book This Is Going To Hurt.
Connell’s Chain
There’s simply no way to escape from the hit TV show of lockdown. The BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People has had people across the globe talking about the incredible chemistry between the two actors. Paul Mescal, who plays Connell Waldron, and Daisy Edgar-Jones, as Marianne Sheridan, have given star-turn performances as the story plots their simple but powerfully moving on-off relationship. The series takes the viewer on a journey that explores youth, love and class and has been applauded for the many ways it has approached the sensitive issues of consent and first-time sexual encounters. What is more surprising is the silver chain necklace worn by Connell has become its own viral sensation thanks to its Instagram account @connellschain. If you can’t get enough info about the young stars, although they’ve been in lockdown throughout the whole publicity tour, you can find them on shows such as Graham Norton and The Late Late Show with James Corden. For a more in-depth grilling, Daisy was a guest on Elizabeth Day’s How to Fail podcast.
Hamilton on Disney+
When the West End and Broadway closed their doors, many theatre goers were left feeling somewhat bereft. While we’ve had a few classic musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera and Cats available to stream on YouTube, the contemporary musicals were left as just distant memories. So it caused a huge surge of excitement when Lin-Manuel Miranda announced to the world that his hit show Hamilton will hit Disney+ on July 3, more than 15 months before its planned cinema release. Created and starring Miranda as Hamilton, the show has won 11 Tony Awards as well as the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. The upcoming film version directed by Tommy Kail was shot live in 2016 with the original Broadway cast at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York. Miranda says watching the film will be like having the best seat at the theatre.
Capture the moment
We tend to take random snaps most days, but during lockdown the Duchess of Cambridge has launched a project to encourage us to share our memories for a historical and artistic piece. The Hold Still project, being run by London's National Portrait Gallery, aims to document the spirit and mood of the public during the lockdown and hopes to capture the "resilience, bravery, kindness" that people have been experiencing in such extraordinary times. Across the world photographers are putting their skills to good use by creating ‘Doorstep Photos’ with much of the money raised going towards the NHS Charities. In the age of social media, one thing we can count on is sharing this experience in pictures and words.
Reasons to be cheerful
Helping to keep up spirits is Matt Lucas, who is hosting a new entertainment show written by Harry Hill. Reasons to be Cheerful with Matt Lucas, is an entertainment programme featuring comedic sketches and interviews with key workers on the frontline in the battle against Covid-19, as well as comedians, sports stars and other TV personalities. It also gives us the opportunity to have a nosey around celebs’ homes, one of the more unexpected and joyous parts of lockdown.
How to find the joy in lockdown
- A simple bouquet of flowers.
- Embrace the silence.
- Watch the tiny details of life from the window.
- Make a special meal.
- Take time for just you.
- Listen to music.
- Read a good book.
- Lose yourself in a boxset.
- Focus on the small things.
- Don’t compare yourself to anyone else.
- Ditch social media for a bit.