24/04/2026
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More Than Just a Show: How a Local Full Monty Event is Redefining Confidence and Community
By Brendan Lalley
The music builds slowly.
Laughter ripples through the crowd, glasses clink, and anticipation settles into the room like a quiet current. Behind the scenes, it’s different. Focused. Tense in places. Excited in others.
Because for the men waiting to step on stage, this isn’t just a performance.
It’s something far more personal.
What began as a light-hearted idea between friends has grown into a community-driven event now entering its fourth year. The Full Monty, led by organiser Jacey alongside her mum, Wendi, was never meant to last beyond a single night. But from the very beginning, it struck a chord.
Not because it was different in format. But because it was different in meaning.
Created to promote body positivity in men and challenge narrow ideas if confidence, the event deliberately moves away from the stereotypical image people might expect. There are no polished, unattainable physiques here. No curated perfection. Instead, the focus is on everyday men – the kind you pass in the street, work alongside, or share a pint with.
Men who choose to step into the spotlight anyway.
The response in that first year was immediate. Tickets sold out. The venue reached capacity. What was planned as a one-off quickly became something people wanted more of.
But beyond the energy of the night, there was a deeper purpose.
Each event raises money for charities – from mental health organisations like MIND and local Samaritans branches, to children’s hospices and support services across the UK.
For those involved, the show isn’t just about entertainment. It’s about impact.
A typical night blends music, live performances, raffles, and comedy, building momentum long before the main event begins. By the time the performers take to the stage, the room is already alive – not just with excitement, but with a shared understanding of what the night represents. People know what they’ve come for. But many leave with something more.
For the performers, that “something more” often stats long before the stage lights come on.
Richard Banks, one of the original members still part of the group, described being asked to join as “an honour.” What followed was more than just rehearsals and performances – it became a commitment. In the early days, he travelled 40 miles every week just to make rehearsals. Now, he describes the group as family.
Andrew Palmer’s experience tells a different story but leads to the same place. After moving to Telford and knowing very few people, joining the Full Monty gave him something unexpected – connection. “It made me feel accepted,” he says. What began as a way to raise money for charity quickly became something more personal – a sense of belonging built through shared experience.
That confidence, however, doesn’t come instantly. Even for those who appear comfortable on stage, the reality behind the scenes can be very different. Andrew recalls feeling completely at ease in the lead-up to his first performance – until it suddenly became real.
“As soon as the suit went on, I was bricking it,” he says. But like many performers, the nerves didn’t last. Once the music started, instinct took over.
Richard, by contrast, approaches it with a different mindset. “I’ve never been nervous,” he explains. “I just keep in mind why we do it.”
And that reason – raising money, raising awareness, and supporting one another – is what anchors the entire experience.
On stage, the moment moves quickly. For Andrew, too quickly to overthink. For Richard, it’s about unity – a team working towards something bigger than themselves. But for both, the outcome is the same.
Confidence grows.
Not through perfection. But through participation.
Behind the scenes, the reality is far more demanding than the audience might realise. Months of preparation go into each event – rehearsals, planning, organising venues, sourcing raffle prizes, and managing a growing team. It’s a process that requires patience, resilience, and constant effort.
“Not quitting,” is how Jacey describes the biggest challenge.
With strong personalities and differing opinions, tensions can rise. But despite that, the show continues – not because it’s easy, but because it matters.
Over time, what started as a single event has become something much more personal for those involved.
“It’s not just a show,” Jacey says. “It has become my personal life.”
That sense of connection runs through the entire team – a group brought together not just by performance, but by shared purpose.
For the audience, the impact is just as significant. They arrive expecting a night of entertainment – and they get it. But many leave with a shift in perspective. A reminder that confidence doesn’t belong to one type of person.
That vulnerability can be strength. And that sometimes, the most powerful thing someone can do is perfectly quoted by the show itself; “The bravest thing you can do is bear it all.”
Looking ahead, the future of the Full Monty remains uncertain. Preparations are already underway for the next event, but there are no plans to expand beyond its current format. In fact, Jacey has suggested that reaching a fifth year may be the natural conclusion.
Not because the event has fallen short, but because it has already achieved more than anyone expected.
For now, though, it continues.
Another rehearsal. Another performance. Another group of men stepping into something that asks more of them than they ever imagined. And for a few hours, under bright lights and in front of a packed room, the idea of confidence is rewritten. Not by perfection. But by courage.
