As England heads into a second lockdown, we hear from Poppy’s mum Sarah Roberts, about how the first lockdown back in March presented them with some new opportunities.
Lockdown has meant huge changes for lots of people but Poppy, who is nearly 2 years old, has taken it all in her stride. Her usual routine was quite chaotic at times so being at home with her mummy and daddy all the time wasn’t such a bad thing. After a few weeks however it was starting to get a bit like Groundhog Day!
Then came an invite from my friend Jo, producer at St Giles with St Mary’s Panto Society in Pontefract to get involved in a lockdown Selfie Cinderella pantomime. Around thirty enthusiastic society members volunteered to take part and worked very hard to pull this off with the support of their families. We included some social references to the challenging times including the use of social media, tik tok dances and socially distanced visits. With no access to costumes, scenery or props the cast had to be creative with what they could find around the house. We even held a full rehearsal using Zoom.
Most importantly though, the younger members and future members were able to get involved. This was amazing for me as it meant that Poppy could appear in her first ever panto! I played the Fairy Godmother performing magic on Poppy who was dressed as a pumpkin, a mouse, a fairy and a monkey, whilst my husband Mick recorded us on my phone. The clips were all edited and posted on YouTube and Facebook.
Following this, the Poppy went on to play the Liquorice Fairy in The Lost Liquorice for The Liquorice festival and the Diva Sheep and a Yorkshire Rose in a film for Yorkshire Day, 2 music videos and lots there’s more planned. We all had loads of fun filming and it certainly helped to make our lockdown more memorable. Poppy’s interaction and focus has greatly improved and she’s been a little superstar!!
We know that a second lockdown is likely to be a stressful experience for many in our community, if you need any support please check out our Wouldn’t Change A Thing Parent Support Group. We hope our page can continue to brighten up your days this month.