Covid musical aims to bring unprecedented positivity to Edinburgh Fringe

A musical about the Covid-19 pandemic is coming to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August, to remind people to “love those close” to them and “enjoy the small things”.

Actress Natasha Mould, 29, from Walton-on-Thames, created the show when she found herself unemployed and taking on a care job during the pandemic.

The musical includes songs about working in Lidl, being at home alone while on furlough and working with the elderly.

In 2020 Ms Mould went from performing at the Savoy Theatre in the West End, in 9 to 5 The Musical, to accepting a full-time care job in a nursing home.

“I was about to go on tour with a Strictly Come Dancing show when we got a group text telling us not to come to rehearsals and that was it,” she told the PA news agency.

“We didn’t get paid, I was wondering what I was going to do next.”

Three days later she began working as a carer for the elderly.

“I was doing personal care for one of my lovely ladies and I had a lightbulb moment about the rawness of what I was doing now compared to the glamour of the West End,” she said.

“Every day I was at work there was a new story.”

2020 The Musical is being performed at the Edinburgh Fringe (Mark Turner/PA)

Ms Mould was not alone, as the West End and the theatre industry as a whole closed indefinitely.

“I had so many friends working in supermarkets – so many people changed their lives for that time to keep afloat,” she said.

The show, Ms Mould said, is “an important story about theatre workers and how people’s lives so drastically changed”.

“So much love and community and positivity came from such tragedy, so I am sharing the stories people did not know,” she said.

“People look at theatre workers and think that it is not a ‘proper job’, but so many lives were turned upside down.”

As the pandemic became a distant memory for many, Ms Mould wanted to create a show that reminded people to make “the most of time and life”.

She said: “Life is very precious – love those close to you, tell them you love them and enjoy the small things, like waking up and enjoying the morning coffee.

“2020 was a horrific year for pretty much everyone, but it is about finding that positivity.”

Edinburgh Fringe runs from August 4 to August 28 and 2020 The Musical is being performed at Underbelly, Bristo Square from 3:55 pm from August 14 to 27.