Middle aged men stripping off...
We had a good laugh last night at the Nottingham Arts Theatre.
The first person on the stage was Buddy 'Keno' Walsh. The curtains were closed, so at first, we were unsure why he was there.
Shortly after his arrival, he introduced us to a flavour of what was to come. Much to our surprise, he started stripping. He stripped down to bright red G string! I didn't know where to put my eyes.
The audience consisted mainly of women (of varying ages), with a few men scattered around. Most of them readily encouraged his stripping by cheering and whooping as he went on. Some laughed in surprise because, possibly like me, they weren't expecting the stripping until the end.
Once the well-received strip tease finishes and the curtain opens, we meet the main cast of men, who are receiving their last pay after being made redundant. They are despondent, and this is reflected in the mood of the songs they sing, which are very good.
The show was a high-standard mixture of monologues, dancing, and singing
I thought I knew the story, having watched the film, but this version was set in Buffalo, USA. Initially, it took me some time to get used to the dialect, but as the show went on, I forgot about it until the actors mentioned it.
The show was a high-standard mixture of monologues, dancing, and singing. The comedy was entwined throughout, and we laughed along with the rest of the audience.
Before the curtains lifted at the start, we were told that an understudy had to step in at late notice due to a main character being unable to take part. I must admit, it took me a while to work out who was replaced, and it made sure that the show went on!
We enjoyed the show and laughed in shock at the events just before the curtains closed. The funny thing is, based on the film, we expected it, but we were still surprised.
It was a good evening for a girl's night out!
The Full Monty is on at The Nottingham Arts Theatre, from 25th June to 29th June 2024.
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