Great shows are like beloved old friends – you can watch them over and over with fresh nuance and joy each time. This is exactly how I feel about Stomp!, which opened in Auckland on Tuesday for a short season (August 6th – 11th).
My love of this show knows no bounds, so it was a treat to catch opening night in the refurbished Aotea Centre (Yes, I know that the refurb was completed ages ago in theatre time). From the opening lone ranger on stage, breathtakingly barrel chested with personality oozing from his endearing face, to the could’ve-dropped-straight-from-Comic-Con long-haired pop punk and fiesty, pint sized wild woman – this is the show that proves, without instruments or words, that rhythm and music are the international language. These 8 performers also go a long way to proving that anyone can dance, make music or stomp. Audience participation is at a high.
Of course, I’m not sure I could achieve the rhythmic glory this cast does given just a paint can, dusty broom or trash can lid! But it’s refreshing to see dance theatre so brilliantly performed by a motley yet mesmerizing crew of short, tall, stocky, skinny, muscular and in-between characters that engage the audience from the opening broom to the closing applause of this almost 2 hour ride.
Photo: Ian Vincent (Stomp!) in Aotea Square. Photo by Oliver Rosser.
Here are the Top 5 reasons you should swoop up tickets for this weekend; whether you’ve seen the show 3 times or never!
- This edition of Stomp! is packed full of new rhythms, routines, tricks and interpretations of modern music with tonal and visual humour on full speed.
- It’s FUNNY. So funny. Laugh out loud in all the unexpected places, funny! The engagement of performers with audience is so genuine that on opening night even the lone heckler proved how unique each audience makes the show. Skip your ab workout, seriously.
- There’s another Kiwi in this edition. Last time, ex-Supergroove drummer Paully Russell made the hometown crowd proud. This time around, Ian Vincent, a drummer and dancer that hails from Te Awamutu, owns the stage with a hat-tip to Pacific Island dance and distinctive tattoos (on equally distinctive arms!).
- Sometimes the smallest and most everyday of objects makes for a wonder. 8 cigarette lighters making light and music in the darkened theatre is a spectacle.
- 22 years and 15 million audience members have seen the show so far – you don’t want to miss out.
Tickets are still available from The Edge Events Centre