Full Monty bares all

Photo: Bonnie Gratz

The Full Monty reveals more than you would expect

An excerpt from “The Full Monty-The Musical” by Terrance McNalley:

Georgie sits on the bed, suitcase packed. Dave enters, unaware of her anger.

Georgie- Sure, I suspected when you started to wear aftershave, but I never suspected this. (she throws the men’s red leather G-string at him)

Dave- You think I am cheating on you? (gulps) Don’t you see? I am a stripper.

Georgie- (pause, disbelief) A what?

Dave- A stripper. (he demonstrates some lame dance moves) A stripper. Jerry talked me into it.

This is just one of unforgettable scenes from the upcoming musical I am directing, The Full Monty - The Musical. 

Maybe you are familiar with the classic movie, written by Brit Simon Beaufoy, about a group of labourers who are laid off. They hatch an ill-conceived plan to become strippers to raise money for paying off the many bills that have piled up as a result of their unemployment. They are rough, and times are tough.  

Terrance McNalley adapted the play into a musical, and set it in Buffalo, New York (late ’80s), the American equivalent of Sheffield, England. 

While the men wait for non-existent union jobs to appear, the women in the community are the bread winners from their jobs at the local Walmart, work that the men deem to be below them. They are real men, but feel like the discarded scrap in the steel yard, now abandoned except for lonely security guard.

Beaufoy’s The Full Monty was nominated for five Oscars - and won one - because the story is about a lot more than a desperate group of men who decide to become strippers to make a bit of money. It is about the issues that men face, but are afraid to share: Suicide, loneliness, pressure of work, finances, and the feeling that they are responsible for the happiness of their families. They love and want to be loved, but that is not a thing guys talk about, especially not in 1987.

Beyond the story is the incredible live music that accompanies this show. Audiences can look forward to a bar band accompaniment, and a talented group of singers who tackle some very catchy and memorable songs.

And yes, the men do the famed Full Monty, but along the way you see more about these men than is ever revealed by a G-string. 

The Full Monty runs April 14 - 24 at The Rotary Centre for the Arts. Tickets are available at the Rotary Centre or by calling 250.717.5304

Photo: Bonnie Gratz

Cast members of The Full Monty, with Bonnie Gratz (Director) Graham Daley, Vince Walczak,John Van Dyk, James Szabo, Jason Richards (no longer appearing), Brad Hull, and Cory Armour 

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.