Formed by two percussion lovers, Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, in 1991, 'Stomp' has been thrilling audiences in the West End and all over the world for over a decade. Initially performing in Brighton (England) and touring the United Kingdom, 'Stomp' was so popular with audiences that it opened in New York at the Orpheum Theatre in 1994, only three years after its conception. After almost ten years of rave reviews in the United States, the 'Stomp' team returned to London to open their West End show. In September of 2007 'Stomp' moved to it's present location, the Ambassadors Theatre, after its initial opening five years earlier at the Vaudeville Theatre. The production was so successful in it's British and American incarnations that the show has gone on to open in almost forty different countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and all over Europe. The London branch of the show, overseen by Yes/No Productions and Glynis Henderson Productions, has been awarded a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Choreography. The 'Stomp' team have also appeared on television ('Sesame Street'), in commercials (for Target and Coca-Cola), on a Quincy Jones album ('Q's Jook Joint'), and on movie soundtracks ('Tank Girl' and 'Riot').
Perhaps the main attraction audiences have to 'Stomp' is that the performance shows that anything is possible. Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, the creators, developed a 'musical' that relied solely on the power of percussion: drumming, tapping, clapping, hitting, stomping - just about every form of rhythm creation was incorporated. Though the musical has no steadfast storyline and there is no dialogue between the performers, 'Stomp' aims to show the unique personalities of each person on stage by emphasising the unique ways they create rhythm. Typically the show includes eight performers who use all sorts of props for the sole purpose of making noise. Matchboxes, garbage cans and lids, bottles, plungers, poles, wood planks, cigarette lighters, sinks, pens, sand, drumsticks, brooms, chalk and water are all props that have been used in shows, though just about anything can be thrown in on the whim of the dancers on stage. The performers use hand-claps and tap-dance moves to communicate 'conversations' to one another, while exaggerated facial and body expressions highlight the relationships amongst the group. 'Stomp' aims to be funny, entertaining, and above all irresistibly infectious, with the audience encouraged to make noise!
As 'Stomp' is open and touring in several different countries there tends to be a circulation of performers amongst the various shows. The original British cast (Luke Cresswell, Nick Dwyer, Sarah Eddy, Theseus Gerard, Fraser Morrison, David Olrod, Carl Smith and Fiona Wilkes) may make appearances on special occasions or in particular international shows, though the present London production has been refreshed to include a host of new talent. Currently 'Stomp' and the Ambassador Theatre are taking bookings up until early February of 2009, so there are still plenty of opportunities to see one of the most unique London musicals ever staged.