‘It’s always been my dream to be a Redcoat’
BBC
Redcoats have been entertaining visitors to Butlin’s resorts since 1936, with Sir Cliff Richard and Stephen Mulhern among those who have donned the famous blazer. BBC News went along to Skegness to meet those hoping to take to the stage.
A young man scratches his arm nervously.
Others are chatting excitedly. We are in a room next door to the audition space.
Dozens of people are hoping to impress judges and take their first step into the entertainment business, and the atmosphere here is electric – a cacophony of nervous laughter as candidates chat about their 60-second chance to impress the judges.
First in the queue is Katie Jickells, 19, who has travelled more than 160 miles (257km) from Huddersfield for the auditions.
“That definitely adds to the nerves,” she says. “I’m nervous being the first one but it’s setting the bar – it’s exciting.
“It’s always been my dream to be a Redcoat. I’ve been coming to Butlin’s since I was a baby, so it’s just a dream really.”
Darren Hall, 43, has travelled from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, with his acoustic guitar.
“I’m quite nervous,” he says. “But I’m just going to be myself. Go for it, sing and play, and hopefully impress.”
But the rigorous process of interviews, followed by group activities and then a 60-second showcase, sees Mr Hall cut before the chance to strum a chord in front of judges.
That’s showbusiness.
Ministry of Information/public domain
Billy Butlin, who founded the company, created the Redcoat role after noticing holidaymakers were sitting around and not engaging with one another, or the activities he had put on.
Mr Butlin assigned a worker to get guests involved in games with icebreakers and jokes. It apparently transformed the atmosphere.
With the addition of the uniform of a red blazer, the role was born.
Friends Stephen Gamage and Joe Jenney have both travelled hundreds of miles from Leicester and Hull, respectively, to audition. Neither knew the other would be there.
“We’ve had a weird morning,” says Mr Gamage.
“It’s been a little dream of mine for about 10 years now, and now I’m finally old enough to do the audition,” chips in Mr Jenney. “I’m ready to rock.
“I’m incredibly nervous, but I’m excited to do it. I’m ready to give it my best shot.”
Mr Jenney’s ability to pull together a mini game show in 60 seconds impresses the judges, while Mr Gamage’s magic act also goes down well.
On the way out the pair are all smiles.
Mr Jenney says it feels like a weight off his shoulders. His friend is equally relieved.
“I can’t believe I managed to pull it off,” Mr Gamage says. “I’m really chuffed that me and Joe have survived the one-minute performance, which I think is the scariest part of the day.”
One person who knows this all too well is Aaron Smith, a Redcoat at Skegness, who auditioned for the role while working at one of the resort’s restaurants.
“I came in really nervous, I hadn’t slept the night before,” he says as he remembers his own journey through the selection process.
“But I went in guns blazing and it was so fun. I’d love to do the audition process again.”
Only about a third of the people attending auditions today successfully make it through to the next stage.
Michaela Lorimer, one of the Butlin’s managers in charge of selecting candidates, says it is “really tough” to cut people from the process.
“Ultimately, it’s awful,” she tells me. “We don’t want to do that. But it is really important we find the right person to wear the Redcoat jacket.”
As the sun sets on the audition process, Miss Jickells, who was first through the door, breathes a sigh of relief.
She has made it through the tricky 60-second showcase by flipping and body popping in a street dance routine.
“It just feels amazing,” says Miss Jickells, who is now through to the last stage of the process.
The candidates are now awaiting the judges’ final decision.
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