The Full Monty Tour – Norwich Theatre Royal!
I remember seeing The Full Monty for the first time and being blown away – this wonderfully fun and yet poignant tale made me laugh and cry and I remember thinking how incredibly clever the writing must have been to provoke that kind of reaction in the viewer. It’s a brilliant film, which on paper should translate well to the theatre – lots of fun and raucous energy from both the performers and audience could see this being a major hit but of course the casting would have to be just so… You know, the casting would have to be as cleverly chosen as the film had been or it could all go to pot!
Gary Lucy playing the lead – Now what do I know about him? He’s the ‘name’ you see and cast as Gaz how would he, could he, measure up? I know he was in Hollyoaks. I don’t watch it. I do remember seeing him in Eastenders and thinking he wasn’t bad… My friend Katy went to Disneyland on a press trip with him and said he was a nice guy and when he’d performed in Norwich a couple of years ago I happened to see him in the pub afterwards and yes, he did look nice but… Would nice guy in real life add up to deserving of the lead role in The Full Monty… Would he do it justice or would I come away feeling a little bit cheated that the play couldn’t live up to the film? Well…
I have to say, he was great! They all were! What a brilliantly tight cast with just a little bit of fun in their eyes as they took on their roles perfectly. A tiny, miniscule spot of audience interaction made them that little bit different – barely noticeable yet definitely enjoyed – and made the show something on its own next to the film, but really and truly they stayed true to the roles we already know and love and I thought they were fantastic!
I also enjoyed the scenery changes – I know, I know… I always bang on about scenery and staging but when it’s good it’s good and this was great! Very clever tricks used at various points making the audience gasp and the back drop view was perhaps one of the most realistic I’ve seen. I loved the slick changes which were subtle and minimal yet incredibly affective.
WE LOVED IT! Me and My Mum! We had a screaming blast as I imagined should be the case with the story line and we found damp eyes at moments too… Gary Lucy not only took the part of Gaz and did it justice but I’d say he made it all his own – with perhaps only a small criticism in that his accent wasn’t perfect. Didn’t matter though! He was great to watch and incredibly fanciable too which I’d not noticed before but looking at the predominantly female audience going wild, I’d say that puts me in the minority!
I was won over by the entire cast who were endearing and funny. I felt like I was meeting old friends for the first time as I knew them well from the film but they all brought something new to the table and while the story is as touching as ever with a delivery which makes you forget where you are and totally immerse yourself in what’s in front of your very eyes, it’s a different experience to the film and not comparable. Oh and the fun of course comes in abundance as you’ll be dancing in your seat to Hot Chocolate and Donna Summer – all the songs so intrinsically linked with this story now!
This is a must see – a real girls night treat (although my mum was disapoointed that the back lighting meant she didnt get to see the FULL MONTY – ha ha) and the tour is on at Norwich Theatre Royal ALL this week so bag yourself a seat and get down there for a hilarious evening of entertainment at its best!
The Full Monty is showing at Norwich Theatre Royal from Monday the 26th of November to Saturday the 1st of December 2018 with evening performances daily at 7.30pm and matinee performances at 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday. For tickets please contact the Norwich Theatre Royal box office on 01603 630000.
We were invited to see the show as guests of the theatre.
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