The Full Monty, Winter Gardens Blackpool Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Cath Joyce
Based on the award winning film of the same name The Full Monty was adapted for stage by Simon Beaufoy back in 2013 and has been delighting audiences ever since. I love the film and remember going to the cinema with friends to watch it, so I was quite excited to see the stage version at The Winter Gardens, Blackpool last night. The audience as you might expect was mainly women and there was a real buzz in the theatre, even before the show had started and everyone was really looking forward to seeing the show.
Directed by Rupert Hill, the film was released back in 1997 and is set in post industrial Sheffield in the late 90’s, a time of high unemployment due to the closure of many of the steel works that brought the city its fame. The main character Gaz (Danny Hatchard) comes up the idea of becoming a stripper as a “get rich quick plan” when faced with losing access to his son after falling behind with his maintenance payments. After persuading his mate Dave to join him they recruit a few others, Lomper (Nicholas Prasad), Guy (Jake Quickenden of X Factor fame) and Horse (Ben Onwukwe) as well as former foreman Gerald (Bill Ward) who is tasked with teaching them all how to dance.
The Full Monty covers what could be some quite serious issues – unemployment, suicide, broken families, homosexuality and negative body image to name just a few. The plot and language used deals with these issues in such a humorous way that whilst the topics are quite grim the way they are put across means you just can’t help but laugh!
I was pleased to see that the stage show closely follows the film, there are a few subtle differences but all the classic scenes from the film have been cleverly recreated. The iconic “Hot Stuff” dance in the Job centre queue, Gerald’s interview sabotaged by the garden gnomes and Horse’s and Guy’s auditions are all there as well as the music we loved from the film, including tracks from Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate and Tom Jones.
All the actors were brilliantly cast, the Sheffield accents were spot on and the resemblance to some of the original film cast was uncanny. A special mention has to go to the young actor playing Nathan who gave a great performance in such a central role – he’s definitely one to watch in the future! I also liked Ben Onwukwe as Horse – his dance moves in the audition were a real highlight of the show.
The industrial stage design switched easily between the abandoned steelworks, Job Centre, Conservative Club and police station and the lighting and projection of the skyline is very effective. Music from the 90’s was used during scene changes to enhance that late 90’s feeling.
Of course you all want to know how the story ended, well just like in the film we saw the lads take to the stage for one night only and …..well that would be telling – you’ll just have to see the show for yourselves!
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £20.75
The Full Monty is at Winter Gardens Blackpool until Saturday 9th December 2023.
For more information or to book tickets visit https://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/
https://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/events/the-full-monty/