Redcoat
Live Theatre
29th Oct 2021
Written and performed by Lewis Jobson
Directed by Melanie Rashbrooke
Devised by Lewis Jobson and Melanie Rashbrooke and based on Lewis's own experiences.
Presented by The Six Twenty
2012 the year of the London Olympics - the year of hope, and optimism, the year we could aim for the stars and reach them all. A year of excitement, of fun, of adventure, of following your dreams.
For some that dream was sport, but for Lewis it was Butlins and a redcoat and the dream of stardom. Fresh out of university and wondering what to with his life, Lewis was beguiled by the Butlins recruitment officer. His country needed him! More precisely, a Butlins Holiday Camp in Bognor Regis needed him.
He was hired, redcoated and off to bring the extra sparkle to the lives of the people of Britain - at least for the fortnight they were booked in to Bognor! It was going to be glorious, and Lewis was on his way to being a star!
Redcoat Lewis takes us through the excitement of being recruited, the 300 mile road trip to Bognor with Geraldine (his mother), the magical moment when he puts on his very own Redcoat for the first time ("it felt .... like mixed fibres..."), and the joy of making people, especially the kids, smile. but then there is the chalet (don't think ski resort!) the rules (never be seen without your redcoat, never eat or drink while wearing your redcoat...) And the daily routine - and Lewis and the new recruits soon learn that being a Redcoat is a glorious thing, but also not such a glorious thing. And some don't make it.
With seemingly endless energy Lewis bounds across the stage dancing, singing, jumping and joking his way through the hour - bringing to life the many characters of his story. He engages the audience who join in enthusiastically with the singing and clapping and the "are we having a good time?....I said, are we having a good time...?"
This show is a delight from start to finish - the perfect pick me up for 2021.
Available for touring in 2022 it deserves to be seen by everyone - watch out for it!
Denise Sparrowhawk
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