The Full Monty

To paraphrase one of Jeanette’s deathless quotes from the show: “It’s not the size that counts, it’s what you can do with it.” This applies well to Phoenix’s home theatre (nicknamed ‘The Tin Shed’): They’ve managed to squeeze in 90 seats on stepped levels, leaving half the floor space for a stage. With ingenuity and nous, they made this intimate place work like clockwork for an entertaining musical with a cast of 19 and a supportive five-piece show band (tucked tidily away to one side).

The show follows the 1997 British film faithfully, except the action is moved to Buffalo in upstate New York where similar industrial situations assailed the working class residents. Director, Tracey Hutley and MDs Casy Chadwick and Nick Ng did a splendid casting job. The six frustrated out-of-work would-be strippers (Stephen Dorrington, Jason Lawson, Kevin Doyle, Adam Bartlett, Ethan Stevens and Simon Ahhim) carried the show bravely and professionally. We empathised about their loss of work and how it affected their home lives. Especially touching were the songs “Breeze off the River”, “You Walk with Me” and “Big-ass Rock”, a black-comedy number about suggesting ways to help a suicidal friend do himself in.

Kate Peters (her tough old pianist has seen it all before) scored the best lines and delivered them like laugh bombs. Her Act 2 opening number was a show stopper. Heather Scott kept movement efficient for the space. The son caught in a custody battle, the wives and town women, extras, creatives and crew … success of a show is sum of all its components. Well done all of you!

Jay McKee