Sitting in an auditorium full of 1,500 empty seats, I watch the group of 10 dancers rehearse on stage and count my lucky stars they aren't making me join in. I could only dream of doing the splits and the thought of being flipped upside down makes my stomach do just that. I've been invited to spend a day in the life as a performer at Butlin's and follow dance captain Ellie Carwithen around Minehead - but thankfully she's not expecting me to body pop.
"I honestly forget what day of the week it is," Ellie tells me, as I remind her that it's a Monday. Every day merges into one for the performers, who eat, sleep and dance on repeat during peak and off-peak seasons - but that's all Ellie has ever dreamed of. "I can't imagine life without dancing," she says. Today, rehearsals start at 1pm ahead of two Musicals Rock shows in the evening, which is Ellie's favourite to direct and perform.
When the team have finished practising their evening performance, Ellie takes me backstage for a sneak peek at the changing rooms and rails of spectacular outfits.
I wander through the female and male changing rooms, wardrobe room and VIP room for the pantomime dame, spotting make-up bags and snacks dotted around.
As we get to Ellie's rail of outfits, she tells me: "We change outfits an insane amount of times during the day. I could get dressed and undressed 50 times easily.
"30 seconds is enough for a costume change. Two minutes can feel like a really long time and I end up waiting around," she says - though I'd beg to differ.
Determined to see if I have what it takes to transform in and out of character mid-performance, I set a timer for half a minute and Ellie lays out two rock 'n' roll costumes in the changing rooms.
The second I hit start on my phone, she whips on a studded leather jacket and black shorts in no time, while I'm struggling to do up the Velcro shirt buttons in the right order.
"10 seconds left!" I panic, as I pull the tartan pinafore up and over my shoulders - but the alarm rings before I have a chance to think about shoes.
I failed at the first hurdle - though Ellie has had a lot of practise. She graduated dance college at 21 and has spent the last decade on cruise ships and performing at Butlin's.
Having never visited the seaside resort before she auditioned for the role of a dancer in 2019, Ellie didn't know what to expect, but soon fell in love with it.
"It's the same as a West End performance," she explains, talking me through the detailed lighting and tech, choreography and handmade wardrobes.
Butlin's dancers are even supplied with underwear and tights - a tiny detail many performers will be familiar with having to sort themselves.
During Ellie's three-hour break between rehearsals and performances, she heads back to her apartment onsite, where she lives with one of the vocalists.
"Our whole team this year lives at Butlin's and we're like one big family - it feels like home," she tells me.
She whips up a jacket potato with cheese and wolfs it down to allow enough time for her body to digest before the show at 7.30pm.
"It doesn't matter what hour of the day, I eat when I need to eat and whatever I fancy," she says, adding that she'll likely have a midnight feast after the second performance.
Ellie and her team return to their dressing rooms an hour ahead of the performance, ready for sound check and pre-show rituals.
"Right before a show, I always do 10 tuck jumps, a little plank and a couple of lunges. A plank warms you up through the core, the tuck jumps get your blood flowing and then a lunge makes sure my hips are okay," she explains.
I get down on my elbows attempting to copy her, though I'm clearly far weaker and almost break a sweat.
Ellie doesn't have any lucky pants or socks, but she does have a special lipstick that gets applied before every show.
"It doesn't even work anymore so I apply another one on top, but it's a superstition and it won't be the same if I don't put it on," she says.
Around her, dancers are stretching and getting each other motivated, with one guy tucking into his dedicated pre-show banana.
Performing for families means Ellie gets to avoid Big Weekenders and the messier side of Butlin's.
In fact, the closest she'll get to an awkward blunder is if the lighting cuts out or a fire alarm goes off, and she has to file outside dressed in costume - as she has to follow the rules and stay in character.
"If we're in the middle of a pantomime, we have to stay in character to keep the magic alive for the kids," she explains, adding that children do sometimes make their way on stage - but the show must go on.
Looking out at the empty seats that will soon be filled with audience members, I feel anxious and struggle to imagine how Ellie doesn't get jittery.
"I get nervous whenever it's a new show or somebody I know is watching," she admits, explaining that this year they're starring in Stephen Mulhern's live show, which is a little more daunting.
As everybody gets into their first outfits, the girls unplait their hair and let their crimps loose, adding red lipstick and thick black liner to create a 'rocky' style.
There's a basket backstage ready for quick costume changes and a huge bike prop waiting for the final scene, with microphones being passed around in preparation.
School of Rock music begins to play and Ellie runs onto the stage - then the rest is history, until she returns 90 minutes later full of life.
"I always get a buzz coming off stage, even if I feel shattered before it's just an amazing feeling," she explains - and I can see how it becomes addictive.
There is so much that goes on behind the scenes at Butlin's and being a performer certainly isn't all rock 'n' roll.
But for the kids on parents' shoulders watching front row, and the dancers doing what they do best on stage, it's entirely worth it.
Auditions are now open for Butlin's dancers, vocalists, Red Coats and Skyline performers. You can apply online here.
