Catchy tunes, witty lines, and split second-timing – what more could one want from a musical? Naked bodies, perhaps?

'The Full Monty – The Musical', now running at the City Hall Theatre, has it all.

The energy of the audience was palpable as the lights went down and the curtain went up – and they weren't disappointed, rewarding the cast with a standing ovation at the final curtain.

Not your usual slick, sweet, guy-gets-girl variety, this musical has a gritty edge to it, set as it is in economically-depressed 1990s Buffalo, New York. And while there are elements of emotional intensity, such as the ballad 'Breeze Off the River', generally the angst is leavened with irony – even a suicide attempt and a funeral can be funny if you have a twisted sense of humour. The musical numbers, like the setting, reflect the American experience, ranging from heart-pumping rock to a smoky blues number. Brief musical allusions, like that to the Malboro Man jingle and The Hollies' 'He ain't heavy, he's my brother' are thrown in for good measure.

The curtain rises on a brilliant set, which recreates vividly the smoke-smudged, red-brick houses of a steel town down on its luck. Corroding steel columns, a rusting iron bridge, even a clapped-out car, are used to recreate the desolation of unrelieved brownfield. Flying panels transport you seamlessly from grim streets, to a men's washroom, middle class bedroom and even a graveyard, allowing the pace of the action to continue uninterrupted. Interesting lighting design shifts the mood from harsh reality to ethereal immortality and back down to earth again.

The action centres around Jerry Lukowski, ably portrayed by Mike Hind, an out-of-work, behind-on-his-child-support, steel worker desperate to meet the terms of the divorce settlement so he can continue to have visitation rights with his son. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the redundancies affect the other men in different ways, though all lose self-esteem along with their jobs. The whole range of male insecurities are explored, including loneliness, impotence and homophobia, and made the topics of a continuous run of quips, parodies and puns.

The women of the town revel in their new-found economic dominance, though freedom from sexism (and true equality) doesn't come until the men shed some of their pride and machismo – along with their clothes at the end. This new found freedom is symbolised by their use of the men's room during a ladies only strip show, and the scene lends itself to some very funny sight-gags.

Jerry enlists the help of his best pal Dave Bukatinsky, portrayed by Leon Waye, to raise funds quickly by staging a one-night-only male strip show featuring 'real' men, and the two set about recruiting four others to join them. They are aided by Jeanette Burmeister, a pianist with a hip-flask and a succession of sharp one-liners. Jenny Burrell convincingly plays the pianist who's seen it all and hasn't been impressed with much of it, observing at one point, "If you want to be in show business you should be spayed first."

Dion Ming's Ethan Girard provides a running gag through the whole of the second half, while Marvin Ford's (Horse) Simmons heats up the show with his rich voice and smooth moves. Needless to say, ultimately all the men find what they're looking for, and though the guy doesn't get the girl, it is a triumphant ending.

The performances are solid, even young Daniel Maguire displaying a strong sense of comic timing, and Dai James' cameo is very funny. The ladies' supporting roles maintain the momentum throughout the production. The choreography by Barbara Frith is interesting and well-rehearsed, 'Michael Jordan's Ball' being a particular standout. A few first-night technical difficulties caused some distraction but will no doubt be ironed out for the second performance. The Gilbert and Sullivan Society deserve hearty congratulations for this production well directed by Matthew Eames, with excellent musical direction from Richard John. A fabulously funny script, great music and strong performances made a great night out. Oh, and yes, there was some nudity.

'The Full Monty – The Musical', produced by the Gilbert and Sullivan Society, runs through October 18 at the City Hall Theatre at 8 p.m. Tickets, $40, available at the City Hall box office Monday to Friday noon to 2 p.m. (292-2313 during box office hours) or on-line, www.boxoffice.bm