Review of the Full Monty at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal

  The Full Monty has arrived at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal and what a treat of a play it is. This is the perfect pick me up for this rather drab time of year – a real belly laugh of a show which holds our attention throughout.   The Full Monty is one of the most acclaimed British films ever and this stage play, with the (predominantly female) audience loving the tale of redundant steelworkers in Sheffield forming their own strip act to perform the Full Monty.

The cast have such good chemistry which shines throughout as it deals with some very challenging subjects with such a genuine sense of humour.

Set in Sheffield, small screen favourite Gary Lucy (Hollyoaks,EastEnders, The Bill and winner of Dancing on Ice)– who’s sheer presence on stage elicited excited screams from the audience – plays the main character Gaz, a cocksure and swaggering likely lad who decides to form a band of male strippers to make some easy cash and drags some unlikely accomplices along for the ride.

There’s Dave, his chubby, comedic and more likeable best mate, impressively played by another TV regular, Kai Owen(Torchwood and Hollyoaks); and Gaz’s son Nathan played astoundingly well by 17-year-old Fraser Kelly. Guy, a well-endowed, gay plasterer given a sensitive portrayal by James Redmond(Hollyoaks and Casualty); stuffy former-foreman Gerald, played by Andrew Dunn (best known from Dinnerladies and for his regular appearances on Bremner, Bird and Fortune), who teaches the improbable strippers dance moves learnt from his time on the Conservative Club ballroom. Joe Gill (Emmerdale) plays tragic Lomper, a suicidal and in the closet loser, who finds confidence and friends; while Louis Emerick (Benidorm,Brookside, Last of the Summer Wine) plays arthritic-hipped and ironically-named Horse, a role he’s played on staged for a number of years – which showed through his confident, charismatic and absolutely entertaining stage presence.

There are far too many comedy highlights to mention them all with laugh-out-loud moments aplenty. The dancing is so funny (where it needs to be) and so entertaining and yes you get the full monty!

What you will get when you go to see The Full Monty is a play with a fantastic cast, set and soundtrack with a relevant heart warming and hilarious story resulting in a fantastic night out.

As they say, drop everything to get a ticket!

The show runs until Saturday. Visit www.trch.co.uk