The Full Monty, what a show! Stomach-achingly hilarious whilst at the same time a bit of a tearjerker, the stage adaptation of the 80s film classic definitely takes you on an emotional rollercoaster.

The cast consisting of…………………………………….bounce off of one another, creating a jovial atmosphere despite the dark undertones of the show. ……….playing Gaz does a fantastic job in both his acting and his, uuuummm, 'dance moves.

To be honest, the main reason that the majority of the audience went to see The Full Monty, was in order to see the 'full monty' and in that respect the show did not disappoint. Men in red thongs, who wouldn’t want to see that!

My only criticism would be that a Yorkshire accent can be slightly difficult for our West Country ears to understand. Perhaps the director should have recognised this and got the cast to slow the pace a little, to ensure that the jokes were correctly understood, as I found myself playing the interpreter a few times to my less Northern-accent-educated friends.

But despite the jovial cabaret of six men trying to become male strippers the strongest message that comes through is how hard unemployment is and that it affects every aspect of people's lives. The underlying story of Gaz’s relationship with his son, and the fact that, as we are often reminded, the only reason he is stripping is to keep afloat and keep his access to him, is a harsh reminder of the measures that people will take to try and stay afloat and protect the people they love.

The Full Monty is a brilliant production, reminding us that even in the hardest of times a bit of laughter and a can-do attitude can solve any problem.

Katie Phillips