THEGAYUK

Day: 9 May 2015

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Full Monty, UK Tour 2015

    ★★★★ | The Full Monty, UK Tour 2015

    In 1997, a film about unemployed steel workers turning into unlikely strippers became the most successful film in the UK (until it was overtaken by Titanic), garnered four Oscar nominations and cemented the phrase ‘the full monty’ into popular culture.

    Set in Sheffield, a group of ex-steelworkers with seemingly very little in common, other than their unemployment, band together in a get rich quick scheme, whereby they plan to rival The Chippendales by becoming strippers and giving the audience a little something extra – by going all the way. Gary, needs money as he is on the cusp of losing contact with his son, overweight Dave has a big body image problem, Horse has a rather (ahem) “small” problem and Loomper has his own secret hidden in his closet. But despite their unlikely sex symbol status, the whole community waits to see whether they really will go ahead with their scheme and whether they will go the full monty.

    Not to be confused with the musical version of The Full Monty, which was produced in 2000, this version is a straight play, which forgoes thin plot and thinner characterisations which simply link musical numbers, and instead provides a play with heart, rounded characters, a genuinely funny script (particularly in the second act) and, of course, the ending that the predominantly female audience were waiting for.

    Despite a few rather dubious Sheffield accents (you can’t fool the home crowd, you know), the cast worked well as an ensemble. Andrew Dunn (“Dinnerladies”) and Louis Emerick (“Brookside”) provided the better performances of the evening; both with effective yet understated performances, whilst Gary Lucy (“Eastenders”) provided the eye candy.

    The show is beautifully written by Simon Beaufoy, who wrote the original story and received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay for the film. The story of the play very closely mirrors that of the film itself, with all of the key plot points, pivotal scenes and music being extrapolated, but despite the running time of the play being approximately 40 minutes longer than the film; it never feels like it is padded out. What does come across much more in this production is the social commentary hidden beneath the comedy and narrative and there is a real balance between the humour, sadness and optimism portrayed. Despite the characters initial differences, there is a genuine feeling of friendship which permeates the play, accompanied by a strong sense of family, loyalty and acceptance.

    Overall, the show remains a feel-good, funny and enjoyable show, which I have to say I enjoyed much more on second viewing, and the whoops of delight by the time the curtain fell proved it was a real crowd pleaser.

    The Full Monty is currently playing at Sheffield Theatres until the 23rd May 2015. For information and to purchase tickets visit www.sheffieldtheatres.com.The play is taking a break over the summer, but will be embarking on another national tour in the autumn.

  • Gay Kiss At Dodgers Stadium Makes History

    There is nothing that defines culture in our society more than sport.

    It is still the biggest reason why people are glued to the television in larger numbers than even the Eurovision Song Contest. It is also one of the last major bastions of homophobia in our society, so every single breakthrough we make is very significant. This week saw yet another heart-warming incident that indicates that maybe the tide is turning, albeit at a trickle at a time.

    Last Saturday at the Dodgers game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, the infamous Kiss Cam was making its usual way around the stadium, putting couples up on the big screen so people could see them awkwardly smooch. The camera then landed on two men, which used to be a stupid joke before most professional sports organizations banned it, but this was no joke. This was just another couple, and the Dodgers wanted to include them in the corny fun.

    What happened next was extra special. When the couple kissed and smiled at the camera, the entire stadium cheered, because they knew they were witnessing something they would not have seen merely five years ago.

    One of the crowd Steve Hartline told The Gaily Grind:

    “I was at the Dodger/Diamondbacks game on Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium. Kiss Cam comes on, and after a few standard awkward couple moments, the camera focuses on two men. My natural instinct was this was for a gag/cheap laugh, but the two men turned to each other and kiss, indicating they are a real-life loving couple, not a punchline. I’m glad I was there, as it felt historic, and was proud of the loud, enthusiastic response from the crowd. Not one person around me groaned or made derogatory remarks, and seemed genuinely pleased with the moment.”

    The couple in the video, married couple of 20 years Steven and Rick Simone-Friedland, spoke about the big moment and what the heartwarming reaction meant to them.

    “All we did was kiss,” Steven said. “What made everyone’s day was the crowd reaction. I don’t think anybody was expecting that reaction. I kiss my husband every single day. That’s not the big deal. The big deal is what happened immediately after. That’s just the most amazing thing.”

    It was a very big change from the summer of 2000, when two women were thrown out of a Los Angeles Dodgers game for kissing. They were surrounded by eight security guards and escorted out because they exposing children to disgusting acts of horror, like love and engaging in public displays of affection that every straight couple engaged in that same evening.