Theatre: Stomp

Created and directed by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas

Performed by Cameron Newlin, Angus H Little, Paul Bend, Ian Vincent, Phil Batchelor, Michael Landis, Leilani Dibble and Asha Jennings-Grant

Regal Theatre

Until August 18

Gus Little

Perth is having a run of shows from what might be called the International Cirquet. These high-production, big top-inspired extravaganzas follow in the footsteps of Cirque du Soleil (whose own Michael Jackson – the Immortal arrives here in a month).

Stomp is one of the most venerable and successful of the type.

It’s trained its audience well. There was much hootin’ and hollerin’ from the stalls as the eight-strong company banged, crashed and walloped their way through a dozen or so routines, mostly in overdrive.

The hook – and it’s a good one – is to make noise on “found” objects, so there’s much banging of tins and steel drums and shopping trolleys, bits of pipe and even more unlikely instruments. It’s appealingly democratic and liberating, but I confess to checking my watch a couple of times a bit too long before the stomping stopped.                   
  Link here to the complete review in The West Australian