The Full Monty dazzled audiences at the Wycombe Swan on its opening night last night.

Despite a technical hitch that saw the show start five minutes late, The Full Monty did not disappoint once the curtain went up.

Based on the 1997 film of the same name, The Full Monty follows six former steelworkers who have been laid off as they decide to create and perform their own striptease show to make a living.

The show’s West End run ended early last year due to poor ticket sales, so I have to admit, I was slightly sceptical about how good it was going to be before I sat down.

I took my mum along to the show – as a huge fan of the film version, I thought she would be the best judge and it was safe to say she absolutely loved it.

With a new star cast, including television stars Gary Lucy, Rupert Hill, Andrew Dunn and Louis Emerick, The Full Monty is back on stage and more brilliant than ever.

Gary Lucy, who made his stage debut with the show, was a fantastic lead character as Gaz and his relationship with his son Nathan was very touching.

The show is all about the men, but the women were fantastic too, especially Liz Carney as Dave’s long-suffering wife Jean. 

When you think of The Full Monty, you immediately think of men getting their kit off on stage, but it had everything you could want from a theatre production – a heartwarming story, some hysterically funny moments and of course, a small dose of male nudity. There were some lovely side storylines as well, including some touching moments between Lomper (Bobby Schofield) and Guy (Rupert Hill).

The music was also brilliant; featuring feel good classics like You Sexy Thing by Hot Chocolate and Hot Stuff by Donna Summer, although I wish there had been more of it.

The writer of the hugely successful film, Simon Beaufoy, wrote the screenplay for the stage show, so fans of the film won’t be disappointed – it sticks very closely to the film’s storyline, which was a huge relief.

The show had the audience laughing out loud – especially at the iconic job centre scene and despite what you might think, this show isn’t just for the ladies. There were plenty of men in the audience laughing along too.

Of course, the entire show was building up to the final moment when the lads get on stage for their Full Monty show. Bare bums were exposed, but the cat calling and wolf whistles from the audience were more of a celebration of their hard work, because by this point, you’ve really invested in their plight to earn a living.

Overall, with a mixture of brilliant actors, some fantastic set designs and an emotional and inspiring storyline, The Full Monty is definitely worth going to see. It will surprise you, make you laugh and leave you with a smile on your face.

The Full Monty is at the Wycombe Swan until Saturday, 11 April. Tickets range from £19.50 to £32.50, available online at www.wycombeswan.co.uk or by calling the ticket office on 01494 512 000.