Review: The Full Monty, Theatre Royal Norwich

The Theatre Royal was transformed into a Sheffield working men's club last night for all the antics that is The Full Monty.

It wasn't quite the elegant footwork which appealed, but more the fact six men of varying shapes and sizes were willing to strip from uniforms to red satin thongs.

You know the story if you've seen the 1997 film starring Robert Carlyle; a group of unemployed manual workers decide to put on a strip show to raise cash with those famous scenes in which the men gyrate to the sounds of Donna Summer and Hot Chocolate recreated last night for the immense pleasure of a predominantly female audience.

Well-toned Gary Lucy from Hollyoaks and Footballers Wives takes the main role of Gaz in his first major stage role and gave a convincing performance as a man struggling to keep custody of his son, played beautifully by northern schoolboy Fraser Kelly.

The humour comes from the fact the men are largely overweight, undertoned, can't dance and wear appallingly bad underwear – giving hope to British men the country over.

However, the scene is set in the tough Thatcher years of high unemployment and tackles the hard-hitting issues of depression, suicide, child welfare and debt. The show is played against an innovative set depicting Sheffield steel and, yes, sparks fly and the girders certainly moved for me….

The cast, including Louis Emerick of Brookside fame, are all hugely talented and in the finale show us all their true 'dancing' skills but you'll have to go and see it to see if they keep their hats on!

• The Full Monty runs until Saturday and is a sell-out, so ring the box office for cancellations.