STOMP | Ambassadors Theatre, London

When your job results in a impromptu trip to London to see a show I'd be stupid to not say no. Last week I headed to London to see old timer STOMP at the Ambassadors Theatre, with 25 years of experience in it's bag I was intrigued to what I would indeed experience as I took my seat for the matinee performance.  

STOMP pride themselves on work which is authentic, fresh and imaginative in their production. The 7 performers show their unique combination of percussion, movement and visual comedy, making it something that everyone can grasp hold of and enjoy. The piece itself was created over a 10 year period of collaboration between its creators, Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas. 

In the piece they bring to life everyday household items in a way that builds on the creativity and imagination of it's audiences, it may even entice you to begin drumming on your dustbin when you leave the theatre. There was a real understanding in it's play between different speeds, whilst maintaining it's main thread of exploring different sounds. You couldn't help but engage in on what percussion they were creating in that specific moment with their interaction with one another having a huge part to play in creating these soundscapes for the audiences. There was also a real mixture in solos to duet to full ensembles, with each section drawing you in on exactly what the performers want you to experience. I loved how their lighting design played a part in this too and really helped to draw us in. 

There was definitely a lot of noise involved, pretty much from beginning to end, with some parts for even the audiences to get involved with too. This piece is great for those first timers to the theatre, especially the young people who can sponge in the atmosphere and fun feel that STOMP definitely creates in it's production. I would actually love to see an entirely new production being created with new items to explore and play with. 

I loved how they created their set, with items that will soon be used in creating the soundscapes surrounding the performance space. There's times when we see the performers suspended from ropes whilst playing their specific instrument in that moment, there's so many places to look and be interested in. I particularly enjoyed the play and exploration with newspapers, something which we can do from the comfort of our homes. 

The only downside in this production was seeing a performer chew gum for the entirety of it, not too sure whether that was part of the piece but it was definitely for distracting viewing when your someone who visits and enjoys the theatre often.

Besides that, STOMP is a real imaginative and fun piece of work that will have you thinking outside the box.