Kristine Repcsik

I had the opportunity to experience the production of STOMP at the Merrian Theater in Philadelphia, Pa. on opening night, February 15, 2011.  The lights dimmed, and it all began with one man holding one broom....

STOMP is a unique combination of percussion, movement and visual comedy.  The show was created in Brighton, U.K. in the summer of 1991.  It was a result of a 10 year collaboration between creators, Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas.  The show previewed at London's Bloomsbury Theatre. 

The cast of STOMP use very unconventional "instruments" such as brooms, lids, poles, sand, matches and lighters.  One of the most intriguing sequences in the performance was with Zippo lighters.  The cast stood in a line across the stage and started flicking the lighters on and off.  Never would I have thought that such an act could create such a visually stimulating spectacle of subtle beautiful noises.  They seamlessly created different tones and notes such simplistic motions. 

What drives STOMP is its complexity, merging rhythms and building one on top of the other in waves of tension and release.  It creates a kind of mesmerizing,  hypnotic effect on the audience.  The excitement is the collaboration of simplistic everyday objects to create chaotic harmony.