With filming under way in Sheffield and Manchester for the remake of 1990s cult classic The Full Monty, the UK’s male strip scene is undergoing a makeover of its own, and paving the way for changes expected right across the entertainment industry as punters avoid city centre nightlife in favour of at-home entertainment.
Covid led to a surge in activities organised by and for local communities as people were confined to their immediate area. With restrictions lifted across the UK, many entertainers who spent the pandemic struggling for business are now increasingly being booked for out-of-town gigs in suburban and rural areas, and in venues such as social clubs, apartments and even old people’s homes – rather than city centre bars and nightclubs.
When the original Full Monty film first hit cinemas 25 years ago, audiences around the world fell in love with the group of lads from post-industrial Sheffield who, having lost their jobs at the local steelworks, turned to stripping to earn an income. The film received international acclaim and was nominated for an Oscar, before being turned into a hit Broadway musical.
“That movie gave the male stripping scene a significant boost,” says David Sargeant, who has worked in the industry for 26 years and is director of adult entertainment agency Eye Candy UK. “The Full Monty highlighted how a night of good quality, harmless fun can bring people together and create important moments of joy and levity.”
Sargeant cites a number of factors in the shift away from city centres, including the fact that young people are less interested in going out. “The cost of living means it’s more appealing for people to save their money and stay at home to socialise with friends and family,” he says. “This way, the entertainment comes to them.”
Martin Reid, director of Party Strip UK, agrees. He says his agency has seen a surge in bookings for performances at old people’s homes lately. “A lot of what we do is actually very family-orientated. Kissograms, for example, are appropriate for audiences of all ages and can add a lot of fun to a family do.”
Reid also notes that the volume of weddings taking place after two years of Covid postponements means the industry is finding its feet again after a challenging period. “Like all performers, we’ve gone from famine to feast as things have opened up again”, he says. “The number of hen party bookings is through the roof right now.”
John Woodward, who runs he entertainment agency UK Pleasure Boys, feels this is a positive thing for the stripping community, too. “Performances in local venues are so vibrant and fun,” he says.
Woodward, a former stripper who often performed in Sheffield in the late 90s and featured in Sky One documentary The Real Full Monty, says the appetite for performances in places like social and working men’s clubs is seeing “a definite revival”.
“These days, instead of 18-year-old girls making nightclub bookings, their mothers and even grandmothers are joining them to see our shows in smaller venues. There are bigger audiences – and it’s all because we’re going to where the people are.”
He adds: “Six-packs and tracksuits became popular after Magic Mike came out, but British audiences still love the traditional costumes – things like navy officers, firemen and policemen. The Full Monty proved that even very average guys with normal jobs and less-than-perfect physiques can put on a brilliant show.”
