The Full Monty
Grand Opera House
Belfast
In 1997, a BAFTA award-winning British film about six out of work Sheffield steelworkers with nothing to lose, took the world by storm. And now they’re back, live on stage, only this time, for them, it really has to be…The Full Monty.
Simon Beaufoy, the Oscar winning writer of the film, has now gone back to Sheffield where it all started to rediscover the men, the women, the heartache and the hilarity of a city on the dole.
Featuring songs from the film by Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate and Tom Jones, The Full Monty is brought to the stage by award-winning director Daniel Evans, and stars Sidney Cole, Kenny Doughty, Craig Gazey, Roger Morlidge, Kieran O’Brien, Simon Rouse with Scott Anson, Tracy Brabin, Caroline Carver, Eamonn Fleming, Elaine Glover, Rachel Lumberg and Ian Mercer.
The Full Monty Theatrical Play is thankfully not a musical, but a laugh-out-loud piece which remains faithful to the film on which it is based. The script, still fresh and full of witty comments, has been modified for the stage. As a result, key moments from the film are now merely a breath away from a cheering and laughing audience.
The main set is the Steelworks: a large, fully functional (or nearly fully functional due to the play’s setting) Steel Factory. This is then amended to include the film’s more famous settings such as the Job Club, Dole Queue and of course the Workings Man’s Club. With the cast changing the set dressing in mere seconds the play eases from one scene to another virtually seamlessly, backed by the soundtrack from the original film.
The cast, always energetic, do a great job transposing a much loved film to the stage. The acting, whilst on one or two occasions may seem a little slow in parts, is on the whole admirable. The slow moving parts of the play may only appear to be due to the frantic pace of the rest of the piece as the cast seem to literally “jump and dance” from one scene to the next.
Kenny Doughty, Roger Morlidge, Craig Gazey, Scott Anson and Simon Rouse, play the principal characters from the film that fans will instantly recognise from their mannerisms. Indeed whilst Gaz was the star of the original film, the audience may find that its Lomper who virtually “steels” the show (pun intended).
Oh, and as male strippers isn’t usually my thing, Ladies, I can tell you that you will NOT be disappointed. As for the male audience, it’s quite funny and very entertaining, and certainly not a shame to be in attendance with your wife or girlfriend.
In short, a great piece transposed from the silver screen to the stage in an energetic and well directed fashion, and one fans, old and new, will most certainly enjoy.
The Full Monty is showing at the Grand Opera House, Belfast from Monday 1st to Saturday 6th April. Tickets are still available, please visit the here for more information.
I would like to add a personal thank you to the Grand Opera House for inviting FTN to this play.
4 out of 5 Nerds
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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