When it was released in 1997, the Full Monty became an instant hit for British cinema.

The film has now been turned into a stage show with the likes of Jake Quickenden, Danny Hatchard and Bill Ward stripping down to their undies on tour.

The nationwide tour is visiting theatres up and down the country, including five nights at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury.

“It’s a story for everyone and it has everything – love, humour, sensitive subjects, the lot,” says former X Factor contestant Jake Quickenden. “So many people can relate to the characters, they draw on relationships that affect everyone. It means that everyone who watches it can feel like it's speaking to them.”

Jake, who first rose to fame on the ITV singing competition, has since appeared on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and Dancing on Ice and has toured in productions of Dreamboys and Footloose.

He will be joined by former EastEnders star Danny Hatchard, Coronation Street actor Bill Ward, All Creatures Great and Small’s Neil Hurst and theatre regulars Ben Onwukwe and Nicholas Prasad.

The show follows a group of working class men from Sheffield who find themselves unemployed and down on their luck after the city’s steel mills shut down.

After seeing the success of a Chippendales group at a local club, the men decide to start their own strip troupe to help raise money for each other.

The show, like the film, highlights themes such as unemployment, fatherhood, body image, sexuality and male relationships.

“I’d say The Full Monty is just as important now as it was 25 years ago,” says Danny, also known for his role in Not Going Out. “There used to be more of a sense of community and care for one another, and I feel social media is pushing us further and further away from our natural way of communicating. The Full Monty is a hilarious, thought-provoking show that will make you feel part of a community again. Who doesn’t want to experience that?”

The film starred an ensemble cast of British actors including Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting), Mark Addy (Game of Thrones), Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom), Steve Huison (Dinnerladies), Paul Barber (Only Fools and Horses) and Hugo Speer (The Musketeers).

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film in 2022, Simon Beaufoy’s play once again returned to the stage and is now giving fans all over the country the ‘full monty’.

The Full Monty will be at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre from Tuesday, April 9 to Saturday, April 13. You can book tickets online here.

You can also book tickets by calling 01227 787787.