Everyman Theatre Cheltenham & Buxton Opera House in association with Mark Goucher and David Pugh are delighted to announce that the UK Tour of Simon Beaufoy’s THE FULL MONTY will star Danny Hatchard as Gaz, Jake Quickenden as Guy, Bill Ward as Gerald, Neil Hurst as Dave, Ben Onwukwe as Horse and Nicholas Prasad as Lomper. THE FULL MONTY opens at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham on 14 September 2023. Full tour schedule below, with further casting to be announced. www.fullmontytheplay.com

Danny Hatchard is probably best known for his role as Lee Carter in BBC One’s EastEnders, and Gary in BBC One’s Not Going Out. His other television roles include Lee in BBC One’s Ridley Road and Private Rhett Charlton in BBC One’s Our Girl. His theatre credits include Aaron in Eyes Closed Ears Covered at The Bunker Theatre, for which he was nominated for an Off West End Theatre Award, as well as Tom Jenkins in Scrooge at Curve, Leicester, Jack Dawkins and Noah Claypole in Oliver Twist at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Ste in Beautiful Thing at The Arts Theatre and UK Tour and Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Jake Quickenden’s theatre credits include the UK Tours of Hair, Footloose and Friendsical, as well as Peter Pan a Musical Adventure at Blackpool Opera House. On television Jake has previously appeared on ITV’s The X Factor, The Chart Show, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, Dancing On Ice, The Real Full Monty: On Ice and Channel 4’s Hollyoaks and Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins. Most recently, Jake has been presenting regularly for ITV shows such as Lorraine and Loose Women. 

Bill Ward is probably best known for his roles as Charlie Stubbs in ITV’s Coronation Street and James Barton in ITV’s Emmerdale. His other television credits include ITV’s The Hunt for Raoul Moat, Vera, Midsomer Murders, Heartbeat and Footballers’ Wives, BBC’s Silent Witness, Jonathan Creek, Casualty and Holby City. His West End theatre credits include Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre, Viva Forever at the Piccadilly Theatre, Million Dollar Quartet at the Noel Coward Theatre, Spamalot at the Palace Theatre and Japes at Theatre Royal Haymarket. 

Neil Hurst’s television credits include Channel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small, ITV’s Coronation Street and BBC’s Home from Home, Casualty, Doctors, The Syndicate and Moving On.  His theatre credits include the UK Tour of Fat Friends the Musical, Early Doors Live UK Arena Tour, Evita at the Leeds Grand Theatre, and Jungle Book The Musical at the Oldham Coliseum. 

Ben Onwukwe’s theatre credits include the UK tours of The Shawshank Redemption and Black Men Walking, The 47th at the Old Vic, New Nigerians at the Arcola Theatre, The Treatment at the Almeida Theatre and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh. Ben’s television credits include ITV’s Professor T, Coronation Street and Law & Order UK, Netflix’s Marcella and the BBC’s EastEnders, Doctors and Holby City. 

Nicholas Prasad’s theatre credits include Around the World in 80 Days at Theatre by The Lake/Hull Truck, The Comedy of Errors with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Approaching Empty at the Kiln Theatre, Treasure Island at Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Baghdad Wedding at the Soho Theatre. On television he has been seen in the BBC’s Doctors and EastEnders, and SyFy’s Krypton. 

This fast and funny play is still very much of our time, as again we are hit by a cost of living crisis. Gaz and his mates are down on their luck and feel they have been thrown on the scrap heap, but they are determined to fight back and bare a little more than they ever thought they would have to.

As in the 1997 smash hit film, this brand new production is a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, laughs and heartbreak. 

THE FULL MONTY marks the first co-production and partnership between the Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and Buxton Opera House, which recently became an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation.

THE FULL MONTY is directed by Michael Gyngell, choreography and intimacy co-ordination is by Ian West, Set and Costume design is by Jasmine Swann with Lighting design by Andrew Exeter and Sound design by Chris Whybrow. The Casting Director is Marc Frankum.