Southampton Mayflower – until Saturday 11 November 2023
Reviewed by Lucy Hitchcock
3***
Simon Beaufoy and Michaeal Gyngell have collaborated on what is set to be a night of temptation, laughter and and a little bit of stripping!
We follow Gaz (Danny Hatchard) as he struggles to make ends meet whilst trying to pay child support, so together with his best friend Dave (Neil Hurst) they form a plan to beat the Chippendales – welcoming lots of women, and lots more cash!
Auditions take place and soon a troupe is formed. Followed by revelations, choreography and first night nerves, the group come together to present the ultimate show – The Full Monty!
With a line up including Bill Ward as Gerald, Jake Quickenden as Guy and Ben Onwukwe as Horse, this is a stellar feast! This is a great adaption of Fox’s original motion picture and stays true to the heart of the show.
The casting from Marc Frankum is superb, he has created a perfectly gelled group that have a fantastic rapport. Choreography from Ian West is outstanding and really puts you in the mood from the get go. What is spectacular about this show is that every member of the cast were involved with scene changes, expertly overseen by Stage Management team Lisa Briddon, Karen Habens and Matt Collins, to create smooth and effortless transitions at every stage.
The most difficult job (apart from the men undressing in front of an auditorium!) executed perfectly by lighting designer Andrew Exeter, is making sure the lights are timed at just the right moment for the when the men bare all! Much to the audience’s dismay this was spot on and the men stayed completely modest, but put on a fantastic show! If you are in need of a fun, frivolous night out – this is certainly the one for you!!!