MAKING a stage debut is daunting at the best of times, not least when the play in question requires taking your clothes off – over and over again.

But it would have taken more than a few stripping scenes to deter Gary Lucy from accepting his first theatre role in one of the most critically-acclaimed productions of the decade so far – The Full Monty.

“I’ve never been one to do things by halves and it was a fantastic opportunity,” said the 32-year-old, who will plays Gaz, Robert Carlyle’s role in the 1997 film.

Of course nothing could have prepared him for the hordes of hen dos and the occasional bands of grandmothers after a raunchy night of entertainment.

“The audience go crazy at the end. The build-up is phenomenal. Thankfully there is a gap between the stage and the audience. We get a lot of hen nights and they go wild for it. I’ve never seen so many people screaming.

“With matinee shows, you get ladies of a certain age and as you get close to the weekend it gets raucous.

“We go full monty so everything comes out but there is some clever lighting so we won’t put people off their dinner.”

Thankfully Gary, who has numerous ‘sexy’ roles under his belt in TV soaps like EastEnders and Hollyoaks, was never one to shy away from nudity when a role demanded it.

“There were a few people who were nervous at first during rehearsal but you just have to whip it off and get it over with. I suppose you could say we got close pretty quickly,” said the actor, who was runner up in the fifth series of Dancing on Ice. “But I think this is as close as I will ever get to stripping. The characters are just normal guys and that’s part of the comedy. They are not supposed to be professionals. They just have this crazy idea of doing the full monty.”

Written by Simon Beaufoy, the Oscar-winning writer of the film, the show stars Andrew Dunn, Louis Emerick, Rupert Hill, Martin Miller and Bobby Schofield.

It is set against the background of Sheffield’s steel mill closures and its laid-off workers’ struggle to survive.

While the six protagonists attempt to make ends meet by any means, Gaz also faces the prospect of losing his son if he does not prove to his ex-wife that he can take care of him.

“There are darker moments,” added Gary. “It’s a dire situation for Gaz.

“All he wants is to get some money together to see his son. I am trying to be truthful to the character.”

The Full Monty is at the New Theatre Oxford from Monday, Novem-ber 3 until Saturday 8. To book, call 0844 871 3020 or visit atgtickets.com/ oxford.

– MARION SAUVEBOIS