Theatre Review

Musical

The Full Monty

Book By: Terrence McNally

Lyrics & Music By: David Yazbeck

Directed by: Kevin McKendrick

Starring: Carson Nattrass, Doug McKeag, Tyler Rive, Elinor Holt, Esther Purves-Smith

Company: Ground Zero Theatre/ Hit
& Myth Productions

www.groundzerotheatre.ca

2007/2008 Season

Where: Calgary Theatre: The Grand

When: October 2^nd – 21^st 2007

5 Stars

Reviewed By: Karan Hollins

It drives Brits nuts when people think ‘The Full Monty’ means stripping, because to a Brit it was a term used for decades and decades before as a catch phrase meaning to ‘go all the way;’ coined by General Montgomery’s cook as the military man always insisted on a full English breakfast before battle. However, we have to admit that the term has taken on a new meaning in light of the Sheffield unemployed men’s de-robing club of the 1997 film called The Full Monty. A decade late and the independent film has made enough money to feed a small country, coin a different meaning for an old phrase and hit Broadway – bare bums and all!

Far be it from emerging western cultural capital, Calgary to be upstaged by Broadway, so the Musical was brought to the The Grand Theatre in grand style; red carpet, pink champagne and strawberries dipped in chocolate was organized to honour the opening night of The Full Monty put on by Ground Zero Theatre.

Aside from the glitz and glamour, The Full Monty had an appeal all on its own. What would the theatre version render that the film didn’t? Well the obvious answer to that would be a certain three-dimensional quality! But would it be as funny and as poignant a storyline? After all, much of the films charm was in its cast, and the fact that it was a British story about the working class. Without Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson and with the Musical being set in Buffalo, NY how would this all translate to the stage? Well needlessly worry no more…The Full Monty musical is without doubt a fantastic production.

The stage is set with the girls on a night out in Buffalo watching the strippers; a funny and amusing scene with the over conceptualized ‘ideal’ stripper giving it ‘all he had.’ Then the reality of the story sets in with the blue-collar guys of Buffalo facing layoffs at the steel mill. These hardworking men are stripped of their dignity and as the musical unfolds it shows the disappointment and heart wrenching sadness of men without the most important thing they need - to be looked up to by there children, loved and respected by there wives and respected by society as a whole. They feel they no longer have what they need to function, and The Full Monty Musical version shows that hard times can land heavy on people whether it be in Sheffield, England or Buffalo, USA.

Our main character Jerry (a very likeable and cheeky guy) and his friend Dave overhear the girls on there way to the strippers and they hear that they are going to pay $50 dollars to go to see them. This sparks an idea for Jerry on how he can pay his child support, if ‘some guy’ can strip for a tidy sum, then why can’t he? However innumerable hurdles are presented in his way, like in the film, we see Jerry (Gaz in the film version) searching for the right guys and then ‘training’ them.

What the Musical has uniquely are the marvelous songs full of fun and laughter at times and of heart break and sadness at others. The transformation from sadness to happiness, from hardship to triumph shaped out of the instinct for survival, is portrayed wonderfully. The actors are a brilliant fit, each bringing a unique interpretation to their performances; such as Ester Purves-Smith as Georgie, who is fantastic and Elinor Halt who plays Vicki - an amazing strong character.

Our final scene brings the guys to a reality of what they are about to do, strip in front of a live audience! We already know that the emerging realization that they don’t need to do the striptease because everyone around them loves them and respects them is inevitable, but no less sentimentally enjoyable. However the show must go on and it does with all the fun and laughter of the film, lots of hilarious moments to chalk up at the end.

George Bernard Shaw said that in every comedy you should look for the grains of truth; and while you are massaging out a side-stitch watching The Full Monty Musical, you are also reminded of those relevant themes of hardships the working poor face, child custody, pertinent issues of self-image, and even the themes of being gay and bigotry are discussed. It would appear that Shaw could find a lot of truths within this production.

The Full Monty Musical is a feel good production that will have you leaving with a cheeky smile on your face! Exciting, funny and a most enjoyable evening; Joel Cochrane and Ryan Luhning your show was amazing.