Stomp

Synopsis

Internationally, this is a phenomenon appearing on stages in cities around the world and attracting plenty of big name guest stars from Steven Spielberg to Bruce Willis, Rosanna Barr to Bruce Springsteen and Dawn French to Griff Rhys Jones. It is also running strong at the West End’s New Ambassador’s Theatre, where it continues to attract large crowds almost two decades since its London debut at the Bloomsbury Theatre in 1991. It can only be the monumentally successful Stomp .

It is a musical like no other from the minds of former street performers Steve McNicholas and Luke Cresswell, one that defies the imagination and displays real acts of ingenuity, whilst leaving the audience breathless and wanting more. It made its first appearance at the Edinburgh Festival of 1991 before it made its London debut later in the year. Back then it was a humble show with only a handful of performers, but it has since blossomed into the juggernaut we know today, sporting 30 performers on the stage and a range of percussive objects ready to be utilised. This compares to the original cast that consisted of Luke Cresswell, Fiona Wilkes, Carl Smith, David Olrod, Fraser Morrison, Theseus Gerard, Sarah Eddy and Nick Dwyer (who sometimes make special appearances to this very day).

Therefore, it is no wonder that it is the talk of the town everywhere it appears around the world, earning it critical and audience acclaim whilst also landing a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Choreography in 1994 in addition to many other prestigious honours. Whether you are in London, Hong Kong, Edinburgh, Sidney or Barcelona, Stomp is a show that no-one wants to miss.

Stomp is described simply as a percussive stage performance, but this surely undersells it tenfold. In fact, Stomp provides an unbeatable experience, mixing elements of dance, comedy and intense sound as various different objects are utilised for this percussive potential. As a result, the show surely stands out from every other musical show in the world as the large cast of performers take everyday household items and reinterpret them as wonderful musical instruments. These range from bin lids to wheel trims, toilet plungers to brushes, keys to matchboxes, beer cans to steel-toed work boots.

The creators of the show, Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, got together in the early 1980s, meeting as part of the street band Pookiesnackenburger and becoming well known for their ‘bins’ commercial and a Heineken Lager Advert. They also took part in the likes of “Beat the Clyde” in which a drum orchestra performed upon a pontoon floated out onto the River Clyde in Glasgow.

The current production of Stomp is part of a new run that began in 2002 at the Vaudeville Theatre. It has proven to be a huge success, transferring to the New Ambassador’s Theatre and currently taking bookings way into 2011.

Discounted Tickets

Venue Information

The Ambassadors Theatre
West Street
London
WC2H 9ND
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Directions

Take the Piccadilly or Northern line to Leicester Square station. The theatre is approximately 5 minutes walk.

Seating Plan