The Full Monty's striking writers picket Sheffield premiere of Disney+ reboot

Series writers Alice Nutter and Simon Beaufoy greeted those at the screening with placards

The cast of The Full Monty have returned to Sheffield to premiere a new Disney+ series that reunites the characters from the hit 1997 film.

Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy and Lesley Sharp were at Monday's premiere in the city, where the film and show are set.

However, Full Monty creator Simon Beaufoy and series co-writer Alice Nutter did not go in because of the continuing US writers' strike.

Instead, they picketed the event, carrying placards outside the cinema.

Beaufoy, who wrote the original Oscar-winning film, held a sign reading: "The Full Monty - about people, for people, by people. No AI."

Nutter's message referred to the premiere. "We love this show but we can't go - fair deal for writers," it said.

The new series stars (left to right) Steve Huison, Paul Barber, Wim Snape, Lesley Sharp, Robert Carlyle, Talitha Wing and Mark Addy

The British pair are both in the Writers Guild of America, which has told members not to work for US companies during the industrial action, saying studios are underpaying writers in the streaming age.

In a statement before the premiere, Beaufoy and Nutter said: "We worked on The Full Monty TV series for over three years.

"We love this show, we put our hearts and souls into it and would like to be at the premiere - but as WGA writers, we won't be taking part in promotion until the strike is over.

"The ongoing strike and struggle to get a fair deal for writers is too important to us."

• TV writers explain why they're walking out

• First images of new Full Monty series released

The eight-part series catches up with the Full Monty's characters 26 years after the film, which saw a group of unemployed men turn to stripping.

In a three-star review, the Telegraph said the new version "firmly wears its politics on its sleeve - with mixed success".

The cast and crew with Robert Carlyle (front centre), who returns as Gaz

"The issues will be all too recognisable, especially to those in neglected communities," the paper's critic Michael Hogan wrote.

"If the optimism of the original... has gone, that's the point - this is a sobering reminder of how far we haven't come."

Mark Addy's character, Dave, is now a school caretaker

The striptease "makes a half-hearted reprise" but is "no longer the narrative-driver", he said.

"For all the kitchen-sink bleakness, its community spirit still crackles with warmth, offering glimmers of hope," Hogan added.

Absent from the premiere altogether was Hugo Speer, who played Guy but was fired during filming after Disney+ investigated "allegations of inappropriate conduct" on set.

The actor told the Daily Mail, at the weekend, a runner had walked in on him getting changed in his trailer and he "didn't believe I'd done anything wrong".

"I'm not going to start turning into a flasher after all these years in the business," he said. "I was so shocked to be told I'd made members of the crew feel 'uncomfortable'."