FFO: Redcoat

Redcoat is a fun and fabulous theatre show created by Newcastle-based theatre company The Six Twenty and Lewis Jobson. Following a tour across the North last autumn, Redcoat is back, but this time with friends! They’ve been working with LGBTQIA+ youth group, Cozmic 3piphany, on a new version of the show full of extra sparkle. They’ve been putting their own stamp on the performance and learning what it takes to make a theatre production happen.

The group represents the voices of LGBTQIA+ young people in Sunderland, campaigning for change and championing LGBTQIA+ inclusion (you can find out more about the group here).

Using only three tracks, Redcoat Lewis tries to describe their show to us…

MXYM – Private In Public
“Go too hard and blow my heart away”

This delicious blend of pop, rock, emo glamour from MXYM cuts to the core of what Redcoat is really all about. Behind the big smiles and high kicks, Redcoat is about what happens when your public and private personas merge and your smile doesn’t feel like your own any more. It’s about what it really takes to work as a children’s holiday camp entertainer; in a place where you have no private life and your every waking moment is scheduled for you.

The atmosphere in this track makes us think of Adult Weekenders and staying out all night (for our one night off a week). It’s all about the lyrics and the pulsing, unrelenting beats. This is a rebellious song. A call to arms. It’s the track we put on in rehearsals when we want to jump around and sing at the top of our lungs. It’s the one we want to go off when we’re in the club at 2am and have a shift that day.

Pete Townshend & Limp Bizkit – Behind Blue Eyes
“No one knows what it’s like to be the sad man” 

“Have you ever told Barney the Dinosaur to piss off in front of a load of kids?”. Well, I have. This melodic, heart-wrenching track was picked by Cozmic 3phiphany who are developing this version of the show with us. The lyrics in this song speak to one of the core themes running throughout Redcoat – our quest to be happy and make others happy. The track ebbs and flows like the not-so-sandy beaches in Bognor Regis (where the show mainly takes place) before cresting to a “when my fist clenches crack it open” peak. It’s a cathartic song, one of introspection and longing. It’s a moment of sadness before the blue skies come. 

Judy Garland – Get Happy
“Forget your troubles, c’mon get happy”

Another track picked by our fabulous Redcoats Cozmic 3phipany. Get Happy by Judy Garland is a joyous, celebratory cheer. It’s the song we play when we want to feel happy and brush off our worries. It encapsulates the feeling we want our audiences to have when they’re at the show. Ultimately, Redcoat is a feel good show full of fun and laughter. It’s a place where you can leave your troubles at the door, dance and sing-along (if you want to) and maybe learn to balloon model. We promise to show you a good time! 

BONUS TRACK

Chocolate by Soul Control. Because it’s the song that’s played at all the holiday camps (especially at the one where the entertainers wear red coats!). Join us at a performance to learn the dance routine. 

You can watch a video with Cozmic 3phipany and Redcoat Lewis here.

You can find out more about the shows & book tickets here.

You can listen to our full Redcoat inspo playlist here…