Why haven’t you seen STOMP yet?

Did you know the dance show STOMP has been in theatres for 27 years now? Have you seen it yet? If not you really must head straight to The Hippodrome Birmingham and book your tickets. But hurry because it’s only on until the 2nd June.

I have to admit I wasn’t sure whether I would like this show. I had seen clips of STOMP on TV shows before and while I love the fast-paced energy of the shows I wondered whether an hour and a half would be enjoyable. The thing is, while there are a couple of noisy, energetic dance numbers this is only a small part of the show. The show is really well paced with louder numbers and quieter pieces.

The thing I really didn’t expect was how funny STOMP is. It’s hilarious! The two photos above were taken from a flash mob by the cast in Birmingham and really sum up the content of the show. On the one hand, you get the energy and amazing dance moves, but weaving through it all is a sense of humour, a joy of dancing, which really makes you feel that anyone can dance and make music with just the everyday things around you.

Although there isn’t a plot as such, there is a lot of storytelling in STOMP. To me the cast are messing about at work, using things they find to liven up the day and annoy and entertain each other. they were like a bunch of workmates hanging out at break time and mercilessly taking the mickey out of each other, and the audience. My favourite part was where one of the characters was trying to read his newspaper in peace during a break.

The staging was really clever, looking like a garage of factory. It was built on two levels and the section where the cast were swinging off the top and banging on different pots and boxes looked and sounded amazing. The show does not have an interval, so be careful how much you drink beforehand as you will not want to miss a thing.

The dance and music is so inventive and clever. Who knew you could make so many different sounds from everyday items? The melody using tubes was surprisingly beautiful. I also loved how they made music, simply by opening and closing their lighters and using them like handbells. So clever. There is also a just the right amount of audience participation. This was great because I just wanted to grab a broom and join in. I teach early years and I’m definitely going to use a few of the ideas in the classroom for having more fun with music and dance.

This is a show which would appeal to anyone, it was funny clever and entertaining. A wonderful treat for Half Term. Now I wonder why I haven’t been to see it sooner and I will definitely be going again next time it comes to town.