The Full Monty ★★★★

It’s the story you know and love… sort of. Reimagined for the Broadway stage in 2000, The Full Monty Musical relocates the beloved British movie to the American city of Buffalo, New York. For UK audiences, this will likely be even more jarring than the addition of musical numbers. It’s a gritty story of working-class men struggling to return order to their lives after the steel factory where they work closes down. Their master plan? Make a quick buck as regular Joes-turned-strippers! It’s originally a quintessentially British story, but if you can put that aside, you’re in for a brilliant night of light entertainment in this humorous and fluffy show.

The scenic design is simple but effective. The combination of wheel-on set pieces and backdrops in a 2D art style manages to conjure up the urban settings whilst still leaning into the upbeat, almost cartoony, narrative style. There’s never a question of where we are or what’s going on.

For all its many plus points, this production could use a little polish. With some tighter direction and a more experienced cast, the pacing could be vastly improved. Although entertaining, the almost 85-minute first half begins to drag somewhat, meandering too slowly through some of its more predictable plot points. Scenes begin to feel long and laborious where the writing demands them to be more of a snappy montage affair.

But where this production really shines is in its varied and memorable performances. The Full Monty is a true ensemble piece with many opportunities for this talented cast to shine. Special mention should go to the female supporting cast and ensemble, who bring energy and verve every time they hit the stage. Some of the best group numbers are “It’s A Woman’s World” and “The Goods”, where they provide some much-needed sass and punch to the mainly male-dominated proceedings. Georgina-Rose Rust gives powerful vocals as Dave’s long-suffering spouse, while Jacqueline Willis is full of pizazz as Harold’s overbearing, spendaholic wife.

Dario Recchia and Jacob Bailey inject some essential heart as their friendship slowly shifts into more nuanced territory. With very little time to develop this relationship, they manage to evoke a real sense of emotion in act two, giving the production some real depth and grounding. A true highlight of the night.

But the real star of this production is Perry Ralls in the role of Dave. Not only does he sing beautifully throughout, but he has a natural comfort on stage, hitting every comedy beat to perfection whilst retaining the important themes of male body-image issues and how they can slowly bore away at a loving relationship.

Although many will be disappointed to see this adaptation move away from its original northern roots (and the Americanisation does lean towards the trashy and superficial), The Full Monty will provide the feel-good factor for any musical theatre lover.

It’s not a perfect production, but from the show’s wildly upbeat overture to its final moments of stripped-down catharsis, The Full Monty is sure to have you out of your seat and cheering for more. Or less, as the case may be!