STOMP - The Five Minute Theatre Review

I have to say that the idea of Stomp never really appealed to me.

I had read a little about the production and even though – throughout the course of its successful 6 year (and counting) run – the show has received consistently wonderful reviews I wasn’t ever particularly enthused about seeing it.

Yet as the curtain closed on the production I found myself on my feet, applauding enthusiastically and eager for an encore.

Sure, the purists will say it’s not high-brow art but that is to miss the very point of what the show is about.

If you’re someone who likes their theatre refined and “old school” then Stomp may not be your “cup of tea” but if you’re willing to exercise a degree of open mindedness then there is little doubt that you’re going to be highly entertained.

As for its subject matter; with no conventional music, no dialogue and no real story to speak of, Stomp plays a little like a sketch show. It is based around a group of friends who appear to continually challenge each other to find a rhythm from the environment about them.

To achieve this end they employ all manner of props, from tissue paper to dustbin lids and cigarette lighters to the proverbial kitchen sink! Any kind of description on my part doesn’t really justify or illustrate the feat. This really is a case of “seeing is believing”.

Directors Steve McNicholas and Luke Cresswell have ensured an inventive take on rhythm, which can evolve from almost any medium and bring impressive audience involvement especially from the large number of young people present.

The cast members – eight in all – were fluid and each completely individual, giving them an identity unexpected in a performance that is in many ways predominantly about the collective.

The 1 hour 40 minute running time (without an intermission) blazes by with all the speed and energy of the production itself and Stomp’s loud, uncomplicated fun is as fresh and exciting as anything on the London stage at the moment. There is always so much going on that you actually leave the theatre feeling as exhausted as the cast must do!

The fact that is also very “family friendly” makes it an attractive proposition for parents thinking ahead to half-term and I would warmly recommend it as one to see – especially if the idea of it has never appealed to you before.

****

George R Vaughan