EVERY INCH A WHOPPING HIT
Gary Lucy will lead the cast of The Full Monty which is coming to Darlington Civic Theatre for one week only from Monday 16 to Saturday 21 November.
In 1997, a British film about six out-of-work Sheffield steelworkers with nothing to lose, took the world by storm becoming one of the most successful British films ever made. Now, the boys are back, only this time, they really have to go The Full Monty…live on stage.
Simon Beaufoy, the Oscar winning writer of the film, has gone all the way with this hilarious and heartfelt stage adaptation that’s getting standing ovations every night on its current UK tour.
Former Hollyoaks and Eastenders star Gary Lucy is no stranger to taking his clothes off but he’s doing it for the first time on stage. He said “I had never consciously decided not to do theatre but I’ve been incredibly lucky in my career to have played so many memorable characters in some great TV series. When the producers of The Full Monty approached me about starring in the tour, I just thought that it was a great opportunity for my first stage experience. It’s a really strong script. All the characters have stories to tell, and the audience really follows that through. It’s a really great cast too, we all get on well. It’s all guys together and we’re just having a laugh.”
Oscar winning writer of the film, Simon Beaufoy, was also a stage novice. Even with a mantelpiece groaning with awards he admits that it was terrifying to begin with, but he was determined not just to create a carbon copy of the film on stage.
“I felt really strongly that audiences would want to come and see a really good play so that’s how I approached it” Simon recalls. “It was a steep learning curve for me and enormously invigorating to learn a whole new craft after 16 years writing for the cinema. I had to discover what works and what doesn’t. Ironically, it’s turned out that the story feels perfect on stage. It’s an ensemble piece about a group of men who are stuck and wondering what to do next.”
The Full Monty is at Darlington Civic Theatre from Monday 16 to Saturday 21 November.
Tickets* are £12.50 to £29.50
*All ticket prices include a £1 restoration levy.
To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk