Feel-good theatre doesn’t get much more entertaining than The Full Monty at Curve in Leicester. Based on the film of the same name, the show follows Gaz (Danny Hatchard) and Dave (Neil Hurst), former steelworkers looking for work after their steel mill in Sheffield closed down.

Gaz is struggling to keep up with child support payments but loves his kid, Nathan (Cass Dempsey) who he wants to spend time with more than anything. Down-on-their-luck, Gaz and Dave come across a local club showing a Chippendales’ striptease act. Doing the sums, they realise that a male strip act could be quite lucrative.

They recruit Lomper (Nicholas Prasad), a former employee at the steel mill and now security guard, who we learn is suffering badly with depression. Also recruited is the former foreman Gerald (Bill Ward), who is hiding his unemployment from his wife, to join and teach them how to dance.

The four men hold open auditions to find more dancers. They settle on the old-but-still-got-it Horse (Ben Onwukwe) and the self-confident, muscular plasterer Guy (Jake Quickenden) who closes the first act with a big surprise.

The rest of the show follows the six men as they rehearse, tackle self-doubt and bond as a group. The success of the show really depends on the strong chemistry between this core group. It is clear that the central cast love being in the show and this boosts the enjoyment for the audience. This is no doubt helped by the strong direction of Michael Gyngell who ensures the pacing of the character interactions is at the right level.

The whole cast are all perfectly suited to their roles and their characterisations are strongly reminiscent of their respective characters in the 1997 film.

Hatchard is a strong lead. He portrays Gaz’s struggles as an unemployed father with depth and clearly shows the strength of his fatherly love in scenes with Dempsey. Dempsey, for his part, brings a cheeky joy to the role of Nathan. The audience gave his character a big cheer during one pivotal scene where he takes the role of motivator.

Hurst is brilliant to watch as Dave. He is the source of many comic moments, delivering lines with quick-wittedness. But he also adds the required emotional depth when discussing the topic of body image struggles.

Ward is especially strong in his role as Gerald. He emotes through subtle facial expressions and changes in tone of voice. His character is struggling with the change in his status and authority and the audience sympathises with him thanks to Ward’s portrayal.

Lomper’s character arc is wonderful to watch as portrayed by Prasad. He shows his character’s depression with a level of humour that is both touching and leads to genuine laughs from the audience. Prasad has particularly strong chemistry with Quickenden which allows for both of their characters to grow beyond the stereotypes. Quickenden, well develops the character of Guy from a man of big muscles to man with a big heart.

Rounding out the group of six is Onwukwe who plays Horse with wisdom and humility. His audition dance is a particularly fun scene to watch.

The set design by Jasmine Swan is impressive. Imposing metal structures loom over the stage, hissing and clunking as the cast and stage hands maneuverer and shift them into the next set. Combined with Andrew Exeter’s moody lighting and Chris Whybrow’s sound design, incorporating songs from the ‘60s to ‘80’s, the scene changes are almost dance-like.

Unfortunately, the nature of the set means it is very easy to see the cast moving into position behind closed doors in preparation for the next part of the scene, lessening the level immersion achieved. Overall, the core story of the show is a touching exploration of joblessness and facing up to adversity. All of this story development is to build up to the joyous showstopper where the cast, to the delight of the mostly female audience, go the Full Monty!