Two South African performers working in Spain have teamed up with their British housemates to provide much-needed light relief to others during the country’s coronavirus lockdown, HeraldLIVE reports. 

Port Elizabeth’s Rebecca Amy Wood, 27, her boyfriend Eddie Friend, 40, from Mossel Bay, and the couple’s two British housemates Sammie Amery, 28, and Joe Philpotts, 30, are in lockdown in their small apartment in Valencia, Spain, but are determined not to let that get them down.

Taking inspiration from Abba’s Thank You For The Music and Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love, the four have been singing and dancing their hearts out  — before posting videos online — to cheer others up at this critical time.

Wood, a past pupil from the Rother-Swain Drama Studio in Port Elizabeth, works for La Tourné Teatro, a touring children’s theatre company in Valencia.

With no touring happening right now, Wood, fellow actors Amery and Philpotts, and boyfriend Friend, are all cooped up together.

Spain spent two weeks in lockdown and the government has extended that by another two weeks, with movement strictly controlled according to similar measures effected in South Africa from Friday morning. 

In Italy, France and Spain, many residents stuck in flats stand on their balconies at a fixed time to clap for those arriving to provide essential services, such as healthcare workers.

“My boyfriend came over from London to isolate here with me, which leaves us with three actors and a very non-actor who is forced into giving us jazz hands on demand.”

Rebecca Amy Wood

“Jazz hands” is a term from musical theatre which sees the hands waved rapidly to and fro.

“On the first night of isolation we decided to write a little jingle to sing on the balcony.

“It was so well received and, more than anything, uplifting for a lot of people, which is why we decided to begin doing a new song [and] video every few days,” Wood says.

“It’s such a strange and odd time right now but we’re a group of incredibly positive people, and we are doing everything we can to keep creative, keep active and keep morale high.”