Stomp the musical is a unique form of musical theater in which dance, comedy and percussion is created using body parts and various objects. It was created in 1991 in Brighton, United Kingdom by Steve McNicholas and Luke Cresswell. From 1981 to 1990 they worked together to perfect the art of nontraditional theatre. The pair started by performing in a street band that toured Europe extensively throughout the 80?s. They created pieces for high profile companies such as Heineken and celebrities like Bette Midler. By the summer of 1991 the duo financed, directed and produced the original Stomp, which previewed at London?s Bloomsbury Theatre.
The original United Kingdom cast consisted of eight members Luke Cresswell, Nick Dwyer, Sarah Eddy, Theseus Gerard, Fraser Morrison, David Olrod, Carl Smith and Fiona Wilkes. Wilkes was a late addition, joining the group in the fall of 1991. The cast have performed their choreographed percussion all over the world. The high demand for such entertainment inspired the formation of other Stomp productions with larger casts. Three American productions and a total of five productions toured the UK, Scandinavia, South Africa, Germany, The Netherlands and France.
Stomp the musical has progressed into recording music for various artists, creating music for movie soundtracks, appearing on Sesame Street and featured in numerous commercials. They have created television specials, performed with Spike Jones and the Muppets. Stomp the musical is so popular that in 2004 a street in New York was named after the group.
Performances include the use of ordinary objects as musical instruments. Some of the instruments include brooms, lids, poles, sand, bananas, matches, athletes chalk, water, bins and drumsticks. The mixture of instruments, in combination with choreographed dance moves, creates an unforgettable show for all audiences. It brings together artist from all genres including tap, hip hop, jazz, ballet, break dancing and even martial arts. The performers create sounds using these objects while dancing or using pantomime to imitate different animals, while never speaking a word. They utilize their body to hit, rub, stump, shake or do whatever movement is needed to create sound. Stomp the musical reminds their audience of the simplest forms of music. It points out how music is everywhere, in brooms, water, trash cans, lids and many everyday objects. This high energy performance with a simplistic theme breathes life into lifeless objects igniting the crowd with a musical they will forever remember.
