REVIEW: Stomp, Mayflower Theatre

EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink, or so the saying goes.

But these are such talented multi-instrumentalists that their set of bizarre, bonkers and brilliant musical instruments includes even the kitchen sink.

Industrial style metal sinks, complete with taps, running water and the amusing suggestion of a urinal, turn up around the necks of the cast of Stomp part way through the show.

The fact they include this in their routine hints at the humour we enjoy from this bunch of playful performers who have the audience laughing out loud on a number of occasions.

Eight endlessly energetic cast members dressed in overalls start out with an array of junkyard items - think bin lids, brooms, buckets and even bin bags moonlighting as percussion instruments.

The scene where the cast are suspended in the air playing drums on a host of saucepans is a particular delight.

The music makers graduate from match boxes and lighters to giant inner tubes and bin stilts via newspapers, pens and the insides of a vacuum cleaner.

The motto is that anything can make music if you really want it to, including an at first tuneless audience who, by the end of the night, have the rhythm just right and refuse to leave, begging for more and giving the cast of Stomp almost as thunderous a round of applause as the wall of noise they have created on stage.

Stomp has changed very little since its last appearance in Southampton. But it's easy to see why this winning format has stood the test of time. It's a hugely entertaining nearly two hours of theatre that I could watch again and again.

A stomping good night well worth shouting about.

LORELEI REDDIN

Stomp runs until Saturday.

Tickets: 023 8071 1811 or visit mayflower.org.uk