Roll out the red carpet: behind the scenes of a West End theatre
A feature in Theguardian profiles the Red Coat butlers at LW Theatres, which runs venues including His Majesty’s Theatre, The London Palladium and Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The distinctive red tailcoats are a visible part of a VIP service designed to create bespoke experiences and lasting memories for guests.
Jonny Weston, a Red Coat who has worked for LW Theatres for a decade, says his role is about looking after people. A typical day begins with preparing VIP rooms with glossy souvenir programmes, premium champagne, snacks and interval ice-cream, then greeting and escorting guests to reserved areas such as the Royal Retiring Room, which has hosted monarchs and other royal family members.
Weston credits Andrew Lloyd Webber and the BBC show Any Dream Will Do for inspiring his interest in theatre, and after training as a performer he chose to become a Red Coat following a front-of-house encounter at the Adelphi Theatre.
United Kingdom, London