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A cheeky view of the lads who set out to make
sure you have a fun evening - which, after all . . . is the bottom line.
The Full Monty
Belgrade Theatre Coventry
*****
It’s a ‘YES’ from me – and a half! This
show has everything. It translates beautifully from the film, but I
think even if you don’t know the film, it works really well on stage.
It’s maybe not for the maiden aunts, but the
packed audience was interesting in that it was the biggest cross section
I’ve ever seen. Possibly it was more female than male but every age
group was represented.
And at the end, after our standing ovation which
even extended to the disabled cupboard, there were equally interesting
comments – chiefly ‘brilliant’ and ‘wonderful’, I loved ‘It makes up for
Salad Days’, but everyone, bar none, was laughing and smiling.
Let’s give it a context . . . it’s a play about
long-term unemployment, closed factories, hopelessness in Steel City,
The Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire, Sheffield, suicide attempts,
all against a backdrop of Thatcher’s Britain; manufacturing industry and
jobs for life are over and for family men with responsibilities,
children, houses, mortgages life is becoming more and more difficult.
Gary Lucy as Gaz out on a limb, or rather
a girder, with best mate Dave, played by Kai Owen,(right) and son
Nathan, played by Fraser Kelly
Is it mardy, moody and miserable? Not one bit.
Crime is one way forward, but The Chippendales are the inspiration.
Crane drivers become exotic dancers prepared to ‘go all the way’ to feed
their families. Five Sheffield men in particular have some difficult
choices to make.
The cast is wonderful. Gaz (Gary Lucy) is the
ringleader, Dave (Kai Owen) his best friend, Horse (Louis Emerick),
Lomper (Joe Gill), Guy (James Redmond) and Gerald (Andrew Dunn) plus
Nathan (Fraser Kelly), Gaz’s son and straight-talking manager. What
makes this so heart-warming are the rich and honest relationships that
develop within the group.
The scenes I loved are the ones I loved from the
film, dancing in the dole queue, Nathan’s pep talk when Gaz gets cold
feet, Dave and his wife Jean (Liz Carney) as their relationship is
rocky. Great 80’s music punctuates the action; Hot Chocolate, The La’s,
Donna Summer.
The final scene, well, I hate to be a spoiler . .
. but it doesn’t disappoint! Directed by Rupert Hill, the lads will be
going the full Monty to 02-03-19.
Jane Howard
25-02-19
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