Signs, Cans, Tools, Oh My!

Bang! Bang! They hit the ground. Bang! Bang! That awesome sound. Bang! Bang! “Stomp” doesn’t let you down. With 30 brooms, 288 liters of water, 40 newspapers, 12 boxes of matches, 10 wooden poles, 10 garbage can lids, gaff tape and 20 pounds of sand mix, 11 extremely talented percussionist-dancers produce a heart-pounding, crowd pleasing show of smashing, crashing, sticks, kicks, slaps, and claps. Though slightly repetitive at times, “Stomp” uses every domestic object you’ve always wanted to drum with—including the kitchen sink—to create a thrilling and entertaining performance.

Originating in the UK in 1991 and moving to the US in 1996, the “Stomp” travelling circus has been putting on speedy sound spectacles for the last 18 years. And it still hasn’t gotten old. Directors and co-creators Steve McNicholas and Luke Cresswell are always coming up with new ideas to keep “Stomp” alive and kicking. Until October 18, the show is being performed in the Cutler Majestic Theatre at Emerson College, a venue incredible in itself.

The Moulin Rouge-like music hall with ornate moldings and tapestries, though beautiful, presents a stark contrast to the set for “Stomp.” Quite overwhelming at first, it consists of worn and dented street signs, trash cans, construction tools, and metal siding flung across the stage or hung on a tall fence-like rack. It has a rough, rugged feel to it that complements the posh theatre surrounding it. The stage is topped off with loads of sand scattered across the floor. And so the stage is set. Lights rise. Action.

A rag-tag crew of construction workers turned musicians enters and immediately begins to serenade you with the sound of their brooms. They begin to hit everything they can get their hands on—and soon enough you start to do the same. By the time the show is over, the contagious energy will likely have inspired you to find your own percussion instruments—from your program to your cell phone to your Charlie card and the person sitting next to you. It’s quite intoxicating and liberating. Anger, excitement, giddiness—now’s the time to let it out.

They quickly move on to a dishwashing minuet of scrubbing and squeaking, a sonnet of smashing trashcan lids together as cymbals, and endless other combinations of matchbox drums, rubber tonal tubes, bucket snare drums, tossing paint cans, and folding chairs. Every now and then, the team will breakout into a Riverdance-like set of Irish stepping; however, this tap dancing relies on steel-toed construction boots.

With beats probably topping 64th notes, the show is amazing and fun—especially when one of the performers turns to break the fourth-wall and begins to clap suggestively, looking to the audience for a backup beat and challenging its members to keep up.

Sometimes the beats and acts get rather repetitive; there are only so many ways you can slap your knees and chest before it gets kind of old. It’s not that it’s not impressive; the talent is apparent. However, a tribal drum circle of matchboxes is not as exciting as the bang-bang of garbage cans and fire extinguishers. Despite this occasional tediousness, though, the show goes on and is extremely exciting, comical, and compelling. From beginning to end, “Stomp” keeps you engaged and waiting for the next surprise. Filled with intensity, perfect precision, and plenty of broken broomsticks, the show is truly a spectacle.