Fame and fortune, here I come!

Remember the kid in your class who used to create rhythm from whatever he/she had in hand? In my case this kid was called Abdullah. He was the school’s only drummer who sat right behind me.

Abdullah was a fan of drum cadence (military style beat) and practiced it using pens and pencils on his book and desk edge. This was his favourite entertainment during classes that bored him (e.g. Arabic grammar) which wasn’t my favorite either. I kept conjuring all my will power to stay awake and focused and his constant beating wasn’t helping my holy quest.

Whenever I’d turn to him with a frown to stop, he seemed to mistake it with a phantom encouraging smile so he’d smile back, nod his head, and continue practicing.

I remembered Abdullah while watching the STOMP! Rhythm show at the Royal Opera House Muscat last Saturday. For readers who’d never heard of STOMP! it’s a theatrical group that was created in 1991 in England by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas.

Other than their performances around the globe, the company also performed at the Oscars and the Emmys. The creators made shows, movies, TV series and commercials that evolved around their company and special performances. They’d came a few times here but I’d never had the chance to attend.

However, I made sure to make it this time, even though it didn’t suit my busy schedule.

The ROHM theatre was full of children of all ages that felt like being in school recess. They were accompanying their parents and calling each other across the theater, while parents waved politely at other parents. I was sitting next to two bored teenage girls checking their phones accompanied by an overly-enthusiastic mother telling them that it was her third time watching STOMP!

The show started with eight performers who were skilled in dancing, body percussion, acrobats, rhythm creating and comedy acts. They used day-to-day objects to create rhythm such as plastic bags, match boxes, lighters, brooms, garbage cans and lids, suitcases, shopping trolleys, newspaper, drainage pipes, kitchen basins and gigantic rubber rings.

Each object had an act of its own that by the end of it I muttered while clapping: “Amazing!” The one I enjoyed most was the kitchen sink one where the performers came out with them hanging down their necks by a strong chain while being filled with water, different cutleries, and cleaning gloves in hand that they ran on the wet surface to create a squeaky sound.

All these sounds were familiar to the ear yet what made it extraordinary was the unthinkable idea of creating enjoyable rhythm and beat out of it (unless you’d attended the show before, like the lady sitting next to me.

Sadly, her daughters weren’t as impressed as her and their eyes were glued to the phone throughout the show. Whatever happened to the ROHM’s ushers who used to patrol the aisles like hawks and catch the faint glow of smart phones meters away?)

The show went on for 75 minutes without a break and the performers and the audience alike showed an inexhaustible zeal, especially when requested by the performers to clap and snap their fingers to create different rhythms. I followed for a while but then lost focus as the rhythm got harder and sat their admiring the lot surrounding me with musical ears.

I enjoyed the show so much and was inspired by it that the following day and while cleaning the cats’ litter box, I discovered that I can create rhythm from the litter pebbles, the scoop, and the disposal bag.

Fame and fortune, here I come!