Derby Opera Company :: The Full Monty 2008

The Full Monty film is known to millions as a tale of working class northern British men. It highlighted the plight of towns devastated when steel factories shut down.

For The Full Monty the musical, the action moves from Sheffield to the rough streets of Buffalo in New York State, but with the same problems of a collapsing steel trade.

The Full Monty musical first opened on Broadway where it became an instant hit. UK fans were begging to know when it would arrive in the West End. Well it finally landed in 2002, bringing with it many of the original Broadway cast. It has a very American slant to it, with songs full of American references and a cornucopia of US accents.

Hats off to this wonderful Broadway musical version of “The Full Monty”. It certainly isn't easy to take a pre-existing celluloid hit and make a stage musical of the same material.