AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW: The Full Monty - The Lowther Pavilion, Lytham.

This, the Broadway show based on the British film of the same name, transposes the action to New York State, and the town on the edge of the Niagara Falls, Buffalo. It is here, and not Sheffield, that we find a group of out-of-work steel workers, who, out of desperation, decide to do the unthinkable, and become a troupe of "real men with real bodies" prepared to do 'the full monty' in their Chippendales-styled routine.

There is not much of a storyline other than this, but the subplots do offer both pathos and comedy in equal measure, and the main storyline concerns one of the steelworkers possibly losing the right to even see his young son if he continues to fall behind on maintenance payments. 

And of course, the musical ends with the men's strip routine for the ladies of Buffalo, who managed this evening to whip our rather timid and uncertain audience (at the start of the show), into a real frenzy, as the six steel workers with less-than-perfect bodies, did indeed (almost!) do The Full Monty! Skin-coloured jockstraps and effective backlights covered their modesty!

This production, produced by The Christie Musical Theatre Company, a talented bunch of amateurs from the The Fylde Coast who produce quality theatre in aid of The Christie Cancer Charity, donating all of their profits from the shows directly to the charity; and little could be more laudable. 

A minimalist composite set of bare rostra affording two different acting levels, was ameliorated where necessary with smaller set props brought on from the wings. This did make the locations of each scene a little difficult unless you knew the story already, but the changes were swift. Costuming worked nicely, and the entire 20-strong cast worked excellently together bringing about a high energy, no-punches pulled, and sympathetic portrayal of these disparate and somewhat desperate characters.

From a technical point of view, the lighting design was creative and most of the time worked nicely; but there were times when the spots were in a different place on stage from where the principal in need of that spot was standing, which was rather odd. Sound levels were god throughout, and the balance of sound worked nicely. 

Congratulations to all the cast, the show ended with a standing ovation from the vast majority of this evening's audience, who just simply wanted more, more , more! 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 11.10.23