By Grace Hatchell who is swooning,
Now then, steady yourselves, because there’s a certain set of Sheffield steel returning to the stage and I am not emotionally prepared.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic film, The Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and Buxton Opera House, in association with Mark Goucher and David Pugh, are sending THE FULL MONTY back out on a major national tour. And yes, love, it’s heading to Curve from Monday 5 to Saturday 10 July 2027. Circle it in red pen. Possibly glitter pen.
Thirty years. Thirty! I grew up hearing about that film like it were part of national folklore, passed down between VHS tapes and Sunday telly reruns. Simon Beaufoy’s story of ordinary blokes reclaiming their pride has never really left us. It was never just about the stripping, though let’s not pretend that didn’t help. It was about dignity. About men who felt discarded, skint, underestimated and still decided to have a go anyway.
Fast-forward to now and we’re back in cost-of-living-crisis territory, belts tightening and confidence wobbling. And suddenly THE FULL MONTY doesn’t feel nostalgic. It feels current. Gaz and his mates are still scrapping for pride, still determined to fight back, even if it means revealing more than they ever intended. Emotionally and otherwise.
Simon Beaufoy himself has said that while Britain has changed over the past three decades, our need for laughter, compassion and dignity hasn’t. And that’s the magic of it. These aren’t superheroes. They’re flawed, funny, slightly knackered men with wobbly bits and brave hearts. Which, frankly, makes them far more interesting.
This new production, echoing the 1997 smash-hit film, promises that same rollercoaster of laughter and heartbreak, with that glorious 90s soundtrack ready to have us all clapping along like we’re back in a working men’s club with dreams bigger than the lighting rig. I can already hear it. I can already see it. I might already be fanning myself.
Beaufoy, of course, is no stranger to a bit of storytelling brilliance. The Academy Award–winning writer behind THE FULL MONTY and Slumdog Millionaire knows how to balance grit with heart, and that balance is what keeps this story standing tall three decades later.
The production is directed by Michael Gyngell, with choreography and intimacy direction by Ian West. Set and Costume Design comes from Jasmine Swann, Lighting Design by Andrew Exeter and Sound Design by Chris Whybrow. Casting is by Marc Frankum. A proper team assembled to make sure the trousers drop at precisely the right dramatic moment. Timing is everything, darling.
THE FULL MONTY runs at Curve Monday 5 to Saturday 10 July 2027. Tickets will be on sale soon at curveonline.co.uk with full tour dates available at fullmontytheplay.com.
From where I’m stood with me satchel, I’ll say this. If ever there were a time for a room full of strangers to laugh together, cheer together and celebrate a bit of daft bravery, it’s now. Thirty years on and the Monty Men are still reminding us that pride isn’t about perfection. Sometimes it’s about stepping forward anyway, knees knocking, heart pounding, and going the full flaming monty.
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