THE star casting for The Full Monty has been revealed as the show based on the 1997 Oscar-winning film embarks on the second leg of a national tour that takes in Southampton this autumn.
The show returns to Mayflower Theatre for one week only from November 2-7.
Actor Gary Lucy, 32, – best known for TV shows like Hollyoaks, Footballers’ Wives and EastEnders, plays the lead role in the tale about six unemployed steel workers who form a male striptease act.
Stepping into the shoes of Robert Carlyle’s role of Gaz must be an interesting challenge for Gary who is spending most nights over the next eight months whipping off his clothes to go ‘full monty’ in front of live audiences.
Despite being on our TV screens since he was 16, this is his first stage role and he is going down a storm with the mostly female audiences.
As this is a story about six ordinary guys from Sheffield audiences can hardly expect the Chippendales, but many remember Gary for his days on Hollyoaks as Luke and Footballers’ Wives as Kyle Pascoe, where he became a young girls’ pin-up.
Gary, from Chigwell, Essex, first became a household name as Luke Morgan because of a male rape storyline that won him the best newcomer at the 2000 British Soap Awards.
Most recently, Gary played bisexual Danny Pennant on EastEnders, leaving the soap in February.
The cast also includes Andrew Dunn, Louis Emerick, Rupert Hill, Martin Miller, and Bobby Schofield.
Andrew Dunn is Gerald; Louis Emerick is Horse; Martin Miller is Dave; Bobby Schofield, one of the most exciting young actors around, makes his stage debut as Lomper and Rupert Hill is Guy. Further casting has yet to be announced.
The production also features the iconic songs from the film by Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate and Tom Jones.
The Full Monty is Simon Beaufoy’s first work for the theatre.
His screen credits include winning the BAFTA for The Full Monty, 127 Hours, Salmon Fishing in Yemen, Slumdog Millionaire and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
Tickets for The Full Monty (November 2-7) are on sale from Mayflower Theatre Box Office tel: 02380 711811 or online at mayflower.org.uk.
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