Il mito degli STOMP: intervista a Phil Batchelor

Gli STOMP sono a Bologna, dopo il debutto all'Europauditorium abbiamo intervistato Phil Batchelor per conoscere meglio cosa significhi essere parte di questa celebre crew.

Il mito degli STOMP: intervista a Phil Batchelor

ITALIA – Gli STOMP ovunque vadano portano con sé due parole magiche e alquanto apprezzate in questi tempi di crisi: “sold out”, un sicuro lasciapassare questo che consente loro di essere accolti a braccia aperte in qualsiasi teatro si esibiscano. Avevamo visto i loro spettacoli e ora anche il loro ultimo recente già presentato all’EuropAuditorium di Bologna, dove resterà in cartellone fino a domenica 30 Ottobre. Gli STOMP ci sono sempre piaciuti e anche questa volta, siamo usciti divertiti ed entusiasti da  quanto abbiamo visto accadere là sul palco di Sala Cagli: una miscela esplosiva di energia e vigore non così comuni.

La creatività unita all’inventiva di questa straordinaria crew pare raccogliere umori e sentori della strada per poi tradurli nel ritmo pulsante del beat metropolitano.  Suono, rumore, gesto imperioso e sovrano che escludendo ogni forma di comunicazione verbale garantiscono piena comprensione allo spettatore e allo stesso modo abbattono ogni barriera linguistica.
Questa volta siamo riusciti persino a intervistare Phil Batchelor che oltre ad essere uno straordinario performer è anche il RD (Rehearsal Director ndr) ovvero la persona responsabile delle scelte artistiche del cast quando gli STOMP sono in tournée. Sotto la nostra intervista volutamente lasciata in lingua originale, di seguito ne viene riportata la fedele trascrizione.

PHIL BATCHELOR RACCONTA GLI STOMP

BEING A MEMBER OF THE STOMP, WHAT DOES IT PRACTICALLY MEAN?
Being a member of Stomp requires a broad range of skills, the most fundamental of these is to have a good sense of rhythm. The show is based on the application of rhythms to everyday objects to create music. Our performers come from various different nationalities and backgrounds, some may be drummers, percussionists or classical musicians, others may come from a dance background of different styles. STOMP is a very physically intense and energetic performance. As performers we must be able to listen to each other, play music with our “unconventional instruments” and incorporate movement all at the same time. It requires discipline, hard work and the ability to work well in a team.

FROM THE STREET TO THE STAGE OF A THEATRE, IT SEEMS TO BE A BIG GAP. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO CONTEXTS?
The core value of STOMP being born from the street is still held today. Our set inside the theatre is very industrial and looks a lot like a junkyard. The cast dress and look like they work out in the street. STOMP is about showing that music can be created with everyday objects that people will recognise. Much like performing in the street, a STOMP show will engage the audience and encourage them to interact with the performers on stage. We have 8 performers during the show and by the end of our performance, we aim to make the audience feel like they are the “9th performer”.

YOUR PERFORMING SEEMS TO BE REALIZED ACCORDING TO A VERY STRICT DISCIPLINE: PRECISION, COORDINATION, CONTROL. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO REACH SUCH RESULTS?
The journey from hopeful auditions to new STOMPer can be a lengthy process. Auditions are held in a group format and have multiple stages. If someone gets to the final stage of group auditions they may then be selected to undertake an intense training contract. The new trainees will learn the show, broken down into to small pieces and built upon everyday, 8 hours a day, for around 6 weeks. At the end of this process, they should then know enough to perform their first show. The creative directors will then decide if that person is a good fit and if they are, they will join one of our 4 concurrently running STOMP shows. We rehearse before every show, and are constantly learning from each other to deliver the best performances in every show.

HOW LONG DOES YOUR PERFORMANCES LAST, GENERALLY  SPEAKING?
On average, a STOMP show will last around 1 hour 40 minutes. There is no intermission and it is full of energetic music, comedy and family filled entertainment. It is written in a way that is loud and in your face one minute and then soft and intimate the next. We take the audience on a journey, exploring the different sounds that objects can be made all within a fun and engaging experience.

Daniela Ferro

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