Simon Beaufoy’s award winning production of The Full Monty is touring the UK and Ireland for the final time. Hilarious, heart-warming and downright saucy, it is set in the late 1980s when the once booming steel trade of Sheffield had tumbled under the iron fist of Thatcher.
Gone was the “job for life” replaced with numerous closures and lay-offs leaving the city full of high unemployment and low spirited, struggling workers.
The story features six out of work Sheffield steel workers who desperate for cash, hatch a plan to perform a strip show in the local welfare club to raise enough cash to cover their financial struggles and keep them off the dole.
However they know that in order to make the show a screaming success they need to stand out from the “Chippendales” and bare all… They may not look, dance or even be in the same age bracket as the likes of Magic Mike and the Dreamboys. However this group of unlikely lads are determined to not let that stand in their way of making cash – leading to plenty of hilarious and cringe worthy moments that had the audience giggling and cheering throughout.
However this isn’t just a show about men getting their kit off. It also tackles more serious issues of sexuality, family rifts, suicide and the poverty trap that so many skilled tradesmen struggled not to fall into during the cull of the 1980s steel trade.
In a society that still struggles to get men to talk about their emotions, these loveable boys learn to open up and share more than just their bare bums as their friendship helps each of them tackle their own demons and truly bare all.
The play stays true to the original successful film which has become one of the most acclaimed British films ever and features many of the songs from the soundtrack such as You Sexy Thing, Hot Stuff and You Can Leave Your Hat On. The infamous post office queue scene had whoops and cheers from the audience straight away as one of the most iconic moments from the original film. The original routines and dodgy dancing has been given an extra boost for the stage keeping the audience well entertained!
Soapstar heart throb Gary Lucy (Hollyoaks, Eastenders) leads the cast as the loveable lad Gaz alongside Louis Emerick (Brookside, Benidorm) as Horse, both veterans of the show having played their respective roles on numerous UK tours. They are joined by Andrew Dunn (Gerald). Joe Gill (Lomper), Kai Owen (Dave) and James Redmond (Guy). The camaraderie and banter between this group of misfits ensures the comedy is rife throughout and the chemistry between the group is clear on stage – these boys are having the time of their life! Each character has their own tale to tell yet their comic timing and brilliant Northern-style humour is delivered well along with more emotional heart wrenching moments that resonate with the audience – particularly those that lived through the difficult decade of the 80s.
The set design features a well-constructed abandoned steel factory which through some slick scene changes and clever staging, turns into many different locations including the “job club”, post office, welfare club and finally the stage for the big reveal! The final scene features the “strip tease” performed straight to the audience with plenty of cheering, screaming and encouraging “Off Off Off” chants as they stripped down to the delight of the hysterical females.
It might be over twenty years since the original release, but given the screams of delight and standing ovations by the end of the show, The Full Monty will continue to please audiences as it takes its final bow this year.
The Full Monty is at King’s Theatre until 27th April