
The Full Monty is hilarious, touching and uplifting and now running at His Majesty's Theatre. Image - Supplied by Aberdeen Performing Arts
I absolutely adore the cinematic treasure that is The Full Monty which hit our silver screens more than 25 years ago!
So, it was easy for me to “stick on a smile and pretend to be happy” - as Nathan tells his dad Gaz to do in the play - about going along to opening night of the stage version’s run at His Majesty’s Theatre last night.
The movie is more than deserving of its cult status and it’s no surprise that writer Simon Beaufoy decided to turn it into a play which made its world premiere at the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield back in February 2013 before touring the United Kingdom.
Several tours and many years later, The Full Monty is still as relevant today as it was back then.
At its heart is a story about so many serious issues including unemployment, homosexuality, depression, body image, despair and poverty, yet it manages to be incredibly uplifting, hilarious and provides toe tapping and hand clapping moments in abundance.

Hats off to Jake Quickenden, one of the stars of The Full Monty at His Majesty's Theatre. Image - Supplied by Aberdeen Performing Arts
The cast are sensational and the six main male characters are a line-up of lads who all come with an impressive list of theatre and TV credits to their names.
They present strong individual performances but also gel brilliantly as a unified bunch of characters that come together to portray their own life challenges in a genuine and believable fashion.
Wide boy Gaz (Danny Hatchard) is a likeable cheeky chap who masterminds the steel workers into believing they can become Sheffield’s answer to the Chippendales, in a desperate bid to retain partial custody of his son.
Pal Dave (Neil Hurst) is a joy to watch and a tad more pragmatic and sceptical about the appeal of ‘Buns of Steel’, while Guy (Jake Quickenden) was warmly welcomed on stage and adds a natural and relaxed flow to proceedings.
Bill Ward who portrays the journey Gerald takes from being a neurotic gnome collector to saucy stripper does so with composure and style, while Nicholas Prasad quietly blends into the character of Lomper who later comes out as a strong performer.

Bump and grind with the cast of The Full Monty. Image - Supplied by Aberdeen Performing Arts.
Meanwhile, Ben Onwukwe’s performance as Horse provides some simply sensational dance moves.
Special mention goes to Rowan Poulton who plays Gaz’s son Nathan, I predict he is a star in the making.
The post-industrial set designed by Jasmine Swan is complex in its construction but cleverly manipulated into different configurations by the cast all the while accompanied by carefully picked clips of 1980s music which add relevance to the story.
In the end the actors definitely bare it all in Simon Beaufoy's award-winning adaptation of The Full Monty in Aberdeen this week – in the best possible taste.
You’ll find it laugh out loud hilarious, delicious, wonderfully well-acted and at its core, a tender story of human dilemma that remains remarkably relevant.
So it’s hats off from me to a show that deserves all of its award-winning accolades and the standing ovation given by the Aberdeen audience last night. Bravo to all!
The Full Monty runs at His Majesty’s Theatre until Saturday, 23rd March. Find more information and tickets here.
Review by Shona Byrne