Civic Theatre, Darlington – 16 November 2015
Rude, crude, lewd and very very funny, The Full Monty arrived in Darlington this week.
In a packed to the rafter theatre, on a wet and cold Monday evening, there was an air of expectation in the predominantly female audience. The oestrogen overloaded ladies weren’t all young either, there was a large number of women who wouldn’t see 60 again and a few who’d not see 70 either!
The 1997 a film about six Sheffield steel workers who decide to try and make a bit of cash by putting on a strip show became something of a sensation and Oscar-winning writer Simon Beaufoy has adapted his hit film into a stage show, complete with music, dancing and – of course – stripping.
Much of the dialogue was taken directly from the film, but the storyline held up well and often the translation from stage to screen was impressive, with jokes and situational comedy well adapted for the surroundings.
Those who were there for more than to admire a soap star body or two were also treated to some cracking acting performances, it would be very easy to write Gary Lucy off as just another soap actor but you’d be a fool to do so. Aside from a dodgy Sheffield accent (I was brought up near Sheffield and I’m a purist) he did pull off the part quite well. He gave depth to the part of an unemployed, part time dad, desperate to see his son, Nathan, but too skint to pay the child maintenance.
With four boys playing the part of Nathan – James Burton, Brook Exley, Fraser Kelly and Ewan Phillips who was on stage at press night. Nathan was a loveable character. It wasn’t a cutesy child part by any stretch of the imagination, with the character having to cope with the break up of his parents marriage, his fathers unemployment and the ongoing court procedures, but he had faith and love for his father and its a touching father and son relationship.
There is superb work, too, from Martin Miller as the obese Dave, who has been rendered impotent by the emasculation of unemployment, and a delightfully oddball performance from Bobby Schofield as the gay and initially suicidal Lomper. The scene in the job club is a joy, where Lomper is happy to be there as he never saw anyone when he was a security guard but now he has friends, warmth, dominoes and tea.
Comical Horse (Louis Emerick ) has the audience in stitches as he arrives for his dance audition supported by a walking stick and struggling with a dodgy hip! Pompous gnome-loving Gerald (played by Andrew Dunn) is desperate to hide his redundancy from wife Linda.
Rupert Hill’s character of Guy makes up the rest of the troup complete with prosthetic penis, the sight of which brings down the curtain on the first half
The play touches on some serious issues – unemployment, depression, poverty, body image and homosexuality to name a few – but as well as being touching it is also very funny. Beaufoy’s play has warmth of characterisation and camaraderie that the men find in each other, and keeps lot of jokes from the original film. It has the added pleasure of a cast who make it enjoyably fresh, but there’s not an Adonis amongst them
Robert Jones’ set is huge and magnifient, working well as a disused steel works, job club, Conservative club and the stage where the action finally takes place and the Ian West’s choreography is also fabulous. The soundtrack that includes songs by Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate and Tom Jones is familiar and you know what to expect.
And do they go the Full Monty? Only a trip to Darlington Civic before Saturday 21st November will answer that question!