REVIEW | The Full Monty, UK Tour
Nicholas Prasad, Leyon Stolz-Hunter, Jake Quickenden, Bill Ward and Neil Hurst. Photo Ellie KurttzWritten by Hollie
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
Caution: This production contains: Depiction of suicide, smoking, strong language, nudity, haze, pyros, strobe lights.
Set in Sheffield in the 1990s, this live and kicking play based on the Fox Searchlight Pictures film of the same name from 1997, is a cheerful and enthusiastic night out at the theatre! The show begins with Gaz, a former steel worker who is a bit hard on his luck after losing his job whilst trying to maintain joint custody of his son Nathan.
Gaz is keen to make some money quickly so that he can provide his ex-wife with the child maintenance payments that she has been asking for. Gaz, played by Danny Hatchard, and his best mate Dave, played by Neil Hurst, regularly go out to find scrap metal that they can steal to make a few quid, and Gaz’s son Nathan regularly joins them. Danny and Neil play the fantastic best friend duo and bounce off each other’s one liners and jokes throughout the show.
The pair regularly get caught by Lomper, played by Nicholas Prasad, who locks them into the steel mill on several occasions. It turns out that Lomper is a depressed and lonely security guard who is looking for a way out, and after Gaz and Dave stop Lomper’s suicide attempt they look after him and take him under their wing.
Bill Ward plays Gerald, husband to Linda, who has been out of work for six months and has been hiding it from her. He lives a secret life and pretends he has been going to work everyday by dressing in his suit but instead, he happens to meet Gaz and Dave down at the Job Club. One day at the Job Club, Gaz has a great idea after seeing hordes of women pouring out of the local club after watching a Chippendale show. He decides to create his own striptease group and holds auditions to find more members of the group. Along with Gerald, Dave and Lomper they find Horse, played by Ben Onwukwe, and Guy, played by Jake Quickenden.
The group is complete and the men start to choose their music and learn a dance routine which is led by Gerald due to his experience in ballroom dancing. With knocks in their confidence and nerves about stripping and showing their bodies to hundreds of women, it is touch and go as to whether the group will striptease down at the working men’s club. Ben who plays Horse is absolutely hilarious as he shows everyone how to move their hips and Jake plays the character of Guy really naturally, as well as being the eye candy for the ladies in the audience!
Another partnership that deserves a special mention is the union between Danny Hatchard as Gaz and Cass Dempsey, who plays his son Nathan. Again, Nathan had some fantastic jokes throughout the show and he was a natural on stage particularly when showing the prospective candidates in the audition room. It seemed like he was perfect for the role!
From the outset, there is dry humour continuously throughout the play and many laugh out loud moments for the audience of adults. The humour interspersed with some classic 90s beats and the fantastic moveable and dynamic scenery really makes this play stand out as one of my favourite adaptations of the year!
You will have to watch and wait to see whether the guys leave their hats on or not!
The Full Monty continues its run at The Theatre Royal in Nottingham until Saturday 4th November. The tour then continues until April 2024 and checks in at theatres including: The Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, The Opera House in Manchester, His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen and The Curve Theatre in Leicester.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
