The Full Monty 2008, Derby Guildhall Theatre
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The Full Monty 2008, Derby Guildhall Theatre
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Reviews
Below is a review in the Derby Evening Telegraph
by Andy Potter:
HOT STUFF AS SIX MEN LET IT ALL HANG OUT AT THE GUILDHALL
WHEN Derby Opera Company cancelled its usual date at the Derby Assembly Rooms to perform Hello Dolly last year, the writing looked on the wall for one of Derby’s top amateur companies.
But in the face of adversity they’re back and, blimey, hold onto your hats, because The Full Monty is quite simply a fantastic production.
It’s a tough call to get six amateur performers to quite literally let everything hang out. Where do you start to look for six men who can sing, act, dance and stand in front of a capacity Guildhall audience in the nude?
To that end, Steven Foster, Mark Pollard, Andrew Booth, Howard Nelson, Leroy Brown and Matt Clay, I salute you.
If you’re familiar with the hit film, then this musical version may come as a surprise as it’s set not in Sheffield but Buffalo, in New York State. The problems that the characters face are the same, and emotions run high, but there’s a lot of humour, pathos and drama and the assembled throng here perform it superbly.
Minimalistic sets, and a superbly light band directed by Edward Moore add atmosphere and a sense of belonging under Terry Smith’s directorial overview.
Be warned, there’s bad language, but also that your tear ducts could empty rapidly after viewing some superbly-timed comedy.
In a show full of superlatives, there’s imaginative choreography, pinpoint character progression and, yes ladies, the all- important final scene where, as they say, you get exactly what it says on the tin.
Unfortunately, the show is a complete sell-out for the week, but will return in September at the same venue, If I were you, I’d book your seats now because this is a show that everyone will want to see. Amateurs this good have attracted audiences of all ages, proving that if you’re in touch with the needs and wants of a local audience, they will flock to see it.
The Full Monty is hot stuff