Director: Roger Haines
Starring: Gary Lucy, Martin Miller, Bobby Schofield, Andrew Dunn, Louis Emerick, Rupert Hill.
Synopsis: Are these unemployed steelworkers brave enough to be Sheffield’s vision of the Chippendales and reveal all for one night only?
This is an evening full of laughter and feel good factor. The Full Monty was written by Simon Beaufoy (127 HOURS, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE), and is the tale of six unemployed steel workers in Sheffield. We have all seen the film, also written by Beaufoy, but get ready for an excellent live performance for one night only!
Gary Lucy is brilliant as Gaz a man who is desperate to prove he is a good dad to his son Nathan, and to repay his arrears in child maintenance, but it always seems to turn out wrong despite his best efforts. Gaz has the ideas and his side kick Dave (Martin Miller), who is convinced he wife does not love him, is an unwilling participant in following these ideas to see where they lead. Nathan is a feisty boy who has his mums grit and his dad Gaz’s kindness.
The steel-workers morale is low and their self-esteem has hit rock bottom. Gaz is amazed when he discovers that the local women are happy to spend £10 to see the Chippendales in action and £10 times a thousand women is ‘a lot of money’. Dave and Gaz are not the best physical specimens of the male form, but have the gumption to realise they could do it with the help of their fellow coworkers – Lomper; movingly played by Bobby Schofield (suicidal and looking after his mother), Gerald (Andrew Dunn); who has not told his wife he is unemployed is excellent as the foreman who lends a sense of gravitas to the show who realises that life is not the crack that Gaz would like to portray. Horse (Louis Emerick); has the moves and is hilarious as he translates Gerald’s dance moves into working man’s lingo which his fellow potential strippers understand immediately. Guy, superbly played by Rupert Hill is the one with the looks and an unexpected level of empathy. Gaz realizes that the one way he can guarantee that the show for one night only will be a huge success is if they go the whole way and do one better that the Chippendales by doing the full monty.
The topics touched on by the show are extremely varied and highly emotive – from unemployment, depression, suicide, sexuality and above all friendship. The entertainment is maintained from the start to the very end and you leave knowing you have seen a show with a great feel good factor. This is an excellent evening’s entertainment for ladies (and men) of all ages!
[usr=4] The Full Monty is running at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking until 7th February 2015, and then continues to tour nationwide.
