The Full Monty- Sutton Arts

*****

This is the stage play, not the musical. Although the musical has become contemporaneously  synonymous with  a hen night/ girl’s night out, its origins are darker,  more serious and profound.

Sutton Arts, with Emily Armstrong at the Directorial helm, has been brave and bold in taking this on, eschewing  the entertainment as being a male strip show and instead driving it as a human story of six mismatched, out-of-work Sheffield steelworkers trying to earn some cash as they struggle,  with feelings of   failure, irrelevance, debt and despair. Thatcher’s Britain in a time capsule, complete with vintage newsreel.

But this isn’t mournful, doleful stuff. Armstrong embraces the original characterisation and delivers  a fast-paced show, with  tension – will they or won’t they make it? – and a series of well-crafted climaxes.

The writing  is excellent. Written by Simon  Beuafot in 1997 who also wrote the screen play for Slumdog Mllionaire ,his writing embraces his Northern Keighley roots, with the added polish of an Oxford education.

 Every time a character’s plight tugs at your heart strings – when Lomper (Ethan  Gibson) tries to hang himself, Dave (Luke Saldana) reveals he is impotent, or Guy (Paul Atkins) explains his boyfriend is dead,   – the action never lingers, and swiftly moves on to provide a lift. Jerome  Pinnock Glasgow is compelling  as Horse and does not have a small part. Rob Phillips  is outstanding as Gerald, channelling his inner Craig Revel Horwood as he coaches the strippers’ dance moves. Laconic, wry, browbeaten and down beaten, he is the reluctant hero of the strippers. A shrewd piece of casting.

The female ensemble is particularly strong with the experienced  Michelle Riley the pick of the bunch as  wronged wife and mother Mandy. Young Freddie Smith plays her and  Gaz’s son with charm and energy ,delivering his pivotal speech towards the end with conviction and aplomb, lambasting his errant father Gaz  who is reflectively  portrayed by Oliver Farrelly. Playing opposite a child is never easy.

Mark Natrass’s set is suitably industrial and flexible morphing into several different settings with ease. The traditional soundtrack is used by David Ashton  with a little ambient electronica however the extraordinarily rich  Sheffield   soundscape of the era is largely eschewed.

Naturally, the path to stripper stardom does not run smoothly. Armstrong moulds this as a tale of friendship and it works splendidly. Yes the finale is  feel -good  schmaltz- but that’s showbiz! A packed Friday night crowd enthusiastically roared the lads  on creating an intoxicating atmosphere. They  let it all hang out until Sept 19^th.

Gary Longden