'Stomp' Ambassadors Theatre ***

‘Stomp’, the physical theatre phenomenon has been smashing audiences in London's West End since 2002. Finally, after all this time, I have now seen it and it’s a satisfactory production indeed. However, I found the narrative of the performance was slightly limited and needed a more balanced story. But, the mixture of rhythm, percussion, visual comedy and movement was a pure delight. They show devised by Luke Creswell and Steve McNicholas, I assume  was to suggest a group of eight people, who try to create an entertaining performance that endeavours to transport an audience on a journey through sounds from daily items; such as brooms, matchboxes, litter bins, wooden poles and quite strangely the kitchen sink. Even though I found the performance to be somewhat enthralling, I did think a section of dialogue would have allowed this show to follow a clear and structured plot. Unfortunately, one did get confused, as the dramaturgical reasoning behind the story and characterisations was hardly apparent. On the other hand, the audience in the Ambassadors Theatre didn't appear to mind as there were a number of rapturous applause moments throughout the production. I did find some aspects to be somewhat amusing, especially the competition between the two women who are tempting a male with strange objects. As expressed previously I would've preferred a constructed and developed script as it's easier to follow as it felt rather disjointed. The casting by Fraser Morrison was precisely appropriate to the characters’ personas. As such the performances by the company of ‘Stomp’ were very well characterised despite the lack of a constructed narrative. The facial expressions allow the characteristics of the roles to an excellent standard of finish. Furthermore, the synchronicity of the shopping trolley section was performed and executed with tremendous panache. I could not find any faults in the slightest especially the physical contact from one trolley to another. There were hints of Foley artistry exuded throughout the production and I found this to be intriguing and a creative device indeed. The direction by ‘Stomp’s creators, Cresswell and McNicholas were of a wonderful standard and the connection between all aspects of rhythm, percussion etc. worked extremely well and initiated a theatrical atmosphere for all to witness. As it says “It speaks all languages” and successfully achieves this with gay abandon, despite a lack of narrative. If you haven't seen ‘Stomp’ if you want to simply be entertained through Physical Theatre entwined with a sense of Music Theatre.