A courageous performance of this musical set in the New York gay scene. The sleazy strip joint sequences are hilarious and well choreographed, the voices are good, and Charity Hope Valentine has this air of knowing innocence about him which gives the whole play such a delicate, unpredictable flair. ‘Rhythm of life’ – one of the play’s famous songs – is rendered to a classical Greek sauna scene and inevitably gets cheers and whistles and whoops when it turns Full Monty. Unfortunately some of the lines – in speech and song – are slightly unintelligible, but that does not take away from understanding the abbreviated, slightly twisted storyline. It is a very ambitious project, and well executed.

C, 14 – 29 Aug, 9.30pm (10.45pm), £8.50 – £12.50, fpp234.
tw rating 4/5
[vk]