REVIEW
The Full Monty
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
1st - 6th April 2019
✭✭✭✭☆ 4/5
The Full Monty
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
1st - 6th April 2019
✭✭✭✭☆ 4/5
On entering the Cliffs Pavilion auditorium on Monday evening, I was immediately struck by the high-pitched buzz of the audience before the play was due to start. A large percentage of the crowd was female, all excited for a good old, raucous night out. The reason for this high turn out was of course that the latest tour of The Full Monty had arrived in town ... and we all know what that means.... or do we....?
We all know what the title implies - and from handsome “totty” Gary Lucy’s first appearance, there was a section of the audience who were more than keen to get their eye-full from the outset.. ”Get ‘em off!” being yelled from various corners; wolf whistles coming from others!
However what we actually get is the story of Gaz, his best mate Dave, and Gaz’s fight to get enough money together to pay his ex-wife maintenance, so he can carry on seeing his son, Nathan.
In the face of mounting unemployment and poverty in 1990's Sheffield, formerly the centre of the famous steel industry, the city of the play is a shadow of its former self, and times are desperate. When we first meet the lads, they are breaking-in to a long disused warehouse to steal an iron girder to make some scrap metal money.
Simon Beaufoy has re-crafted his original 1997 screenplay (is it really that long ago?) for the stage, and in a detailed programme note, the author says that this was not the easy process he expected. Plays are necessarily wordier, as it is not so easy to shift locations as it is in a film, which leaves so much more needing to be said.
The boys unwittingly see their wives having a night out at the local pub, watching a group of male strippers. On being told how lucrative this one evening is, they decide to give it a go, promising that they will go all the way, and give their audience the Full Monty.
It is from here that the play really takes off after a fairly slow beginning. Once the lads start auditioning and collecting new people to join their act, the play becomes very fun it indeed.
The touching thing is, the gang are indeed a motley crew, from Gerald, the former foreman, who has never told his wife that he was unemployed, to Lumper, who makes a botched (hilarious and sad) attempt at suicide at the start of the play.
As time goes on they bond as a group, and they really begin to care about making their big night a big success. It gives them a new lease of life and they all grow as a result.
It was very noticeable that after a while on Monday, the audience settled down, and you could hear a pin drop as the story took hold.
The play boasts a fine cast of recognisable faces from TV including Louis Emerick as Horse and the wonderful Andrew Dunn as Gerald, who played Tony in Victoria Wood’s Dinner Ladies. (interview with Andrew below)
Gary Lucy is the reason many of the audience are there though and he has the necessary good looks and winning cheeky personality to win the audience over. Sadly, I found it very difficult to hear him for quite a lot of the time. His diction really is not good. I’m not sure whether this is because of having a cold, or due to needing to use a Yorkshire accent, but I really couldn’t understand much of what he was saying at all, which was a shame.
Acting honours go to Kai Owen, for his performance as over-weight Dave, a big, high energy actor with the necessary big gun vocals to fill the Cliffs and all the other large venues the play will be visiting. I found myself longing to see the play in a more intimate theatre, and I was in Row M of the stalls.
There is also a very touching and sensitive performance from young Fraser Kelly as Nathan, Gaz’s son. He wearily puts up with all his dad’s antics because he knows the reason why he is doing it.
The set is huge, very well designed by Rob Jones, and it morphs nicely at the end for the big finale, when we suddenly become the audience.
The Full Monty is a great night out. It has a lot of laughs, is a touching story and has a great finale!
Highly recommended.
Review by Andrew Walters
We all know what the title implies - and from handsome “totty” Gary Lucy’s first appearance, there was a section of the audience who were more than keen to get their eye-full from the outset.. ”Get ‘em off!” being yelled from various corners; wolf whistles coming from others!
However what we actually get is the story of Gaz, his best mate Dave, and Gaz’s fight to get enough money together to pay his ex-wife maintenance, so he can carry on seeing his son, Nathan.
In the face of mounting unemployment and poverty in 1990's Sheffield, formerly the centre of the famous steel industry, the city of the play is a shadow of its former self, and times are desperate. When we first meet the lads, they are breaking-in to a long disused warehouse to steal an iron girder to make some scrap metal money.
Simon Beaufoy has re-crafted his original 1997 screenplay (is it really that long ago?) for the stage, and in a detailed programme note, the author says that this was not the easy process he expected. Plays are necessarily wordier, as it is not so easy to shift locations as it is in a film, which leaves so much more needing to be said.
The boys unwittingly see their wives having a night out at the local pub, watching a group of male strippers. On being told how lucrative this one evening is, they decide to give it a go, promising that they will go all the way, and give their audience the Full Monty.
It is from here that the play really takes off after a fairly slow beginning. Once the lads start auditioning and collecting new people to join their act, the play becomes very fun it indeed.
The touching thing is, the gang are indeed a motley crew, from Gerald, the former foreman, who has never told his wife that he was unemployed, to Lumper, who makes a botched (hilarious and sad) attempt at suicide at the start of the play.
As time goes on they bond as a group, and they really begin to care about making their big night a big success. It gives them a new lease of life and they all grow as a result.
It was very noticeable that after a while on Monday, the audience settled down, and you could hear a pin drop as the story took hold.
The play boasts a fine cast of recognisable faces from TV including Louis Emerick as Horse and the wonderful Andrew Dunn as Gerald, who played Tony in Victoria Wood’s Dinner Ladies. (interview with Andrew below)
Gary Lucy is the reason many of the audience are there though and he has the necessary good looks and winning cheeky personality to win the audience over. Sadly, I found it very difficult to hear him for quite a lot of the time. His diction really is not good. I’m not sure whether this is because of having a cold, or due to needing to use a Yorkshire accent, but I really couldn’t understand much of what he was saying at all, which was a shame.
Acting honours go to Kai Owen, for his performance as over-weight Dave, a big, high energy actor with the necessary big gun vocals to fill the Cliffs and all the other large venues the play will be visiting. I found myself longing to see the play in a more intimate theatre, and I was in Row M of the stalls.
There is also a very touching and sensitive performance from young Fraser Kelly as Nathan, Gaz’s son. He wearily puts up with all his dad’s antics because he knows the reason why he is doing it.
The set is huge, very well designed by Rob Jones, and it morphs nicely at the end for the big finale, when we suddenly become the audience.
The Full Monty is a great night out. It has a lot of laughs, is a touching story and has a great finale!
Highly recommended.
Review by Andrew Walters
We catch up with the Full Monty cast at Southend's Cliffs Pavilion on Monday 1st April
Photo credit: Kim Tobin
Photo credit: Kim Tobin
2018/19 TOUR SCHEDULE
1 - 6 April Southend Cliffs Theatre 01702 351135
southendtheatres.org.uk
8 - 13 April Hull New Theatre 01482 300306
www.hulltheatres.co.uk
15 - 20 April Newcastle Theatre Royal 0844 811 2121
www.theatreroyal.co.uk
22 - 27 April Glasgow Kings Theatre 0844 871 7648
www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre
29 April - 4 May Wimbledon New Theatre 0844 871 7646
www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre
6 - 18 May Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 0844 656 5147
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
southendtheatres.org.uk
8 - 13 April Hull New Theatre 01482 300306
www.hulltheatres.co.uk
15 - 20 April Newcastle Theatre Royal 0844 811 2121
www.theatreroyal.co.uk
22 - 27 April Glasgow Kings Theatre 0844 871 7648
www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre
29 April - 4 May Wimbledon New Theatre 0844 871 7646
www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre
6 - 18 May Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 0844 656 5147
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk