West End percussion sensation Stomp will continue its 13th birthday celebrations next month by inviting hundreds of fellow 13-year-olds to enjoy the show for free.
The Olivier Award-winning production, which officially became a teenager back in May, has teamed up with theatre education charity Mousetrap Theatre Projects to offer a special schools’ matinee on 12 October at 14:00.
The performance is for 13-year-olds from state schools where more than 40% of its pupils receive free school meals as well as school children of the same age who have not previously participated in a Mousetrap-organised theatre trip.
Talking about the project, Stomp’s co-creator Steve McNicholas said: “We wanted to find a different way to celebrate 13 years in the West End, and what could be better than opening our doors to other 13-year-old Londoners?”
Mousetrap Theatre Projects is committed to making theatre accessible to disadvantaged young people. The charity’s Director Susan Whiddington said of next month’s performance: “We have used this opportunity to reach out to schools in some of London’s most disadvantaged communities as well as schools that have never accessed our programmes. We feel this is the ideal show for this age group and will be a wonderful and memorable first theatre experience for these students.”
Stomp, which is created by McNicholas and Luke Cresswell, made its first London appearance at Sadler’s Wells in 1994. Since then it has been seen at London’s Vaudeville Theatre, won an Olivier Award for Best Choreography and transferred to its current home at the Ambassadors Theatre.
Combining elements of theatre, dance, comedy and percussion, Stomp’s multi-talented performers turn the mundane into music as they hammer out feel-good rhythms using everything from matchboxes and wooden poles to dustbin lids and a kitchen sink.
While the show’s performance on 12 October is exclusive to specially selected school children, theatre fans can buy tickets for other performances of Stomp through us. The production is currently booking until 5 June 2016.