THE FULL MONTY
Writer: Simon Beaufoy
Director: David Moore
Starring: Ross McLeod, Matt Silvester, Chris Kent, Steve McMurray, Ian Wright, Adam Rangitaawa
Te Awamutu Light Operatic Society (TALOS) opened their two-week season of The Full Monty last night at The Woolshed Theatre. There were solid ticket sales prior to opening which bodes well for the production, and the fundraising initiative for the Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ.
In 2023 body positivity, sexual orientation, depression, suicide ideation, and the recession are frequently discussed and acknowledged. Seeing The Full Monty (set in 1990s northern England) provides another opportunity to ponder those issues in a fun, light-hearted manner.
Ok, ok, let me get the puns out of the way first. Diction is important. Yes, I found the pace satisfying. The actors really nutted down their characters. Things did happen willy nilly. And yes, the technical crew fiddling with the (lighting and sound effects) knobs did a solid job.
Ross McLeod played Gaz, the unemployed and loving father of Nathan (Samson Crowhurst) who is behind in his child support payments and at risk of losing visitation rights. Desperate times call for desperate measures and following a sell-out crowd at a Chippendales Show, Gaz convinces his down-and-out mates to join him in staging their own strip show but taking it one step further. The bond between McLeod and Crowhurst was genuine and heartwarming. As an accomplished thespian, McLeod can always be relied upon to steady the ship, take charge of any misplaced items, or manage unruly props while remaining in character.
A resounding BRAVO to the core cast for auditioning, getting their roles and ultimately going The Full Monty. The thought of going shirtless might have been challenging enough let alone going bottomless. McLeod, Matt Silvester (Dave), Chris Kent (Lomper), Steve McMurray (Gerald), Ian Wright (Horse), and Adam Rangitaawa (Guy) left their discomfort at the stage door and gave it their all. Each brought unique qualities to their roles and it was a kaleidoscope of personalities and talents, just like a real friendship group.
David Moore’s direction was tremendous. Every part of the stage was effectively utlilised and the cast’s spacing and orientation was mindful of the audience. Two scenes in particular were absolute standouts – the auditions for its expressive humour, and the dole queue for its witty choreography.
How did the play stack up against the film and musical versions? Fairly well. By removing the need for singing, it opens up opportunities for actors who are not confident in their vocal abilities. However, just a note here. Without microphones, voice projection is far more important than maintaining a Sheffield-esque accent. The hilarious one-liners are constant in this piece, and many laughs were lost because the projection was not on par. This is something easily rectified and may simply have been as a result of opening night nerves.
Hats off to the Wardrobe team who did a magnificent job of curating vintage 1990’s clothing, especially the women’s costumes. Every item was well-fitted and tailored.
The set was a series of moving pieces that pivoted or rolled in or out from the wings. These movements were completed by the cast and would have been more effective if the personnel had been in theatre blacks during these scene changes not their costumes. There is enough time for costume changes to be completed between set moves.
TALOS deserve the support this season for their fundraising efforts, their symbolic gesture towards those who have been taken by cancer, but mainly for their core cast. What an extraordinary feat to commit fully and without shame to a play that requires a full monty moment. As the curtain closed on opening night, a loud cheer erupted from the stage. The relief was palpable.
Would you bare all for your art? Either way, here’s an excellent opportunity to support local theatre and support fundraising by seeing The Full Monty in all its varied glory.
Photo: Emma James Photography
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