Arts | Performance show unveils rhythmic, bizarre ‘instruments’

With contagious beats and inventive routines, STOMP is performing in the region for the first time after a month-long tour in Beijing.
The cast of the dance and music performance showcased their incorporated nontraditional music instruments to the media during a behind-the-scenes tour earlier this week.
STOMP creates rhythms and music out of ordinary percussion instruments such as household and industrial objects. The show draws musical rhythms from all sorts of music including Latin and African beats.
According to the cast members, new elements of music, choreography and “instruments” have been added for their show in the region, revealing that some elements in the performance are not scripted.
Kicking off the show with their traditional “broom” scene, the cast members said that they are encouraged to add their own culture and sounds to the performance in order to give a variety of rhythm to the show.
Troy Sexton, a cast member of the show for 13 years, said, “the idea is that we are just a bunch of sweepers and all of a sudden music comes out of nowhere, [then] eight people [start] playing together.”
He also added that 12 cast members of the show role-play different characters in every performance, describing their act as a “structure of routines that stay the same but within that, there’s room for improvisation.”
Meanwhile, Joe White, who has been with the show for ten years added that aside from entertaining the audience, they aim to be an inspiration.
“What we’re trying to convey is that we encourage people to pick things up, give them a hit and see what they sound like and play. There’s music in everything in life,” he said.
Audiences are told to expect a bizarre collection of “instruments” used by the performers who smash, crash and bash them into a percussion masterpiece.
In addition to brooms and bins, everyday items such as boxes of matches, paint containers and drum sticks make the interactive show more entertaining.
It was previously reported that the revamped show, with new music, choreography and “instruments”, including massive recycled inner tubes which performers wear and play simultaneously, is more thrilling.
STOMP is currently playing at The Venetian Theatre until October 9.