YORK actor Mark Addy did The Full Monty on the big screen - now amateur actors are taking the musical version of the hit film to a city stage.

In the UK amateur premiere of the award-winning musical, the Shipton Theatre Company is presenting The Full Monty at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre later this month.

Director Robert Readman said he had no problem finding amateur actors - all from York and the surrounding area - who were willing to bare all for their art.

He said: "It wasn't difficult. We had a really good choice of gentlemen who were willing to take their clothes off.

"But we had to cast it according to the characters."

The hit musical faithfully recreates the story of former steel workers who regain their self esteem following redundancy by discarding their clothes.

The main change is location - the musical is set in Buffalo, New York, instead of Sheffield, South Yorkshire - and there are no Hot Chocolate or Tom Jones hits for the men to strip to. Mr Readman, from Bubwith, first saw the musical when it came to London three years ago and immediately put his name on the list for the show's rights.

He said: "The show was brilliant. I put us down on the waiting list straight away and I thought it would take ages. But I got a message saying we could do it - and we are the first amateurs to get the rights.

"I really wanted to do this show because we had already done a selection of songs from the musical at a concert and it went down really well."

Tickets for the show, which runs from Tuesday, July 26, until Saturday, July 30, are selling fast, and performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights have nearly sold out.

Mr Readman said he was not surprised by the interest in the show.

He said: "There's a great deal of character work in the show. You actually care for the characters, and it's a real musical comedy.

"The show has a really good ending, and we all know what that's going to be, but it's the excitement of the build-up. Obviously there's a really close connection to the film because Mark Addy comes from York, and people like something that they know - although there are new songs.

"They know the story is very funny, quite sad at times, but it is a laugh-a- minute."

Tickets are available by phoning 0870 7705741 or the Theatre Royal Box Office on 01904 623568.

Updated: 11:54 Saturday, July 02, 2005