The Full Monty gets go ahead in Fareham

7:10am Friday 24th October 2008

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IT was so risqué that a Hampshire drama group had to get permission from the civic fathers to stage the show.

For the cast of STP Musicals is about to bare all, or nearly all, by taking the wraps off their own version of The Full Monty.

And it is first time that the musical interpretation of the smash-hit comedy film has taken to the stage at Fareham’s Ferneham Hall.

Click here to see Daily Echo reporter Duncan Eaton doing the Full Monty

Director Jason Curtis said: “We had to seek permission from the local authorities to allow our leading men to strip!

“Thankfully, permission has been granted so that the show can deliver what it says on the tin!

He said: “The show’s five leading men were both thrilled and terrified when they won their starring roles. Though careful lighting is all set to cover their embarrassment in the final few moments of the musical, there are no guarantees that everything will be alright on the night. One late cue and they could end up fully exposed without even a hat to hide behind.”

It is another big challenge for the amateur group who have recently staged the High School Musical and Les Miserables.

The five Full Monty strippers are Steve Brook, 35, Kevin Jones, 25, Adam Myers, 34, David Humphries, 49, and 18 year-old Jack Leonard.

Steve, who lives in Hedge End and is a construction project manager, is normally behind the scenes as stage manager.

He quipped: “This is the first time I have been exposed to an audience like this!

“When I was asked to do The Full Monty I thought about it for 20 seconds and then said, ‘why not’.”

The Full Monty at Ferneham Hall runs until Saturday.

It tells the story of six jobless men – four of them steel workers – who form a male striptease act to raise enough money to escape from the dole queue blues and for the main character Gary to see his son, played in the Fareham musical by 12- year-old Harry Sykes.

l The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets priced £12 (under-16s and over-60s £10) are available from the box office or by calling the ticket hotline on 01329 231942. Some language may not be suitable for under-12s.