STOMP CREATORS
STOMP was created, written and directed by Luke Cresswell & Steve McNicholas
Photo: Paul Winter Photography
LUKE CRESSWELL
Luke was born and raised in Brighton on the south cost of the UK. He is a self-taught percussionist, having taken up drumming at the age of nine and leaving school at 15 to pursue a musical career.
Luke’s session work as a drummer and rhythm programmer includes Beats International, Bette Midler and Elvis Costello.
Following a decade working as a street performer and musician, Luke created STOMP in 1991. As a performer in STOMP Luke’s appearances include the Academy Awards (The Oscars), the Emmys, Quincy Jones’ album Q’s Jook Joint and the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.
In 1998 Luke was recipient of the special achievement award from the Chicago Human Rhythm Project for ‘Groundbreaking Achievement in Tap and Percussive Dance’.
Luke is also an award winning filmmaker. He has directed, with Steve McNicholas, commercials, short and feature length films and large-format movies made for IMAX theatres worldwide.
Nominations include an Oscar nomination for Brooms, a short film based on the opening routine of STOMP, and Emmy nominations for STOMP Out Loud, a television special made for HBO subsequently released on DVD. The films Pulse: A STOMP Odyssey, Great White Shark and Wild Ocean 3D have all been recognized and awarded at the most prestigious awards in the IMAX industry as part of the Giant Screen Theatre Association Conference.
In 2006, Luke and Steve created The Lost & Found Orchestra, a celebration of found sound that takes the concepts behind STOMP to a symphonic level. The show was originally commissioned by Brighton Festival to celebrate its 40th Anniversary and has since toured to Sydney, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Cologne and across North America. Luke conducts, and performs onstage with, the orchestra.
STEVE MCNICHOLAS
Steve hails from Yorkshire in the north of the UK and now lives in Brighton on the south coast.
A musician, actor, singer and writer, Steve has worked with various theatrical and musical groups throughout his career including the Bradford Theatre Group, Cliff Hanger, Covent Garden Community Theatre, The Flying Pickets and Pookiesnackenburger.
Steve shares directorial credits for STOMP with Luke Cresswell. In 1994 the pair were awarded with the Laurence Olivier Award for ‘Best Theatre Choreography’.
Steve also shares directorial and composing credits with Luke on the orchestral show The Lost & Found Orchestra which premiered in Brighton 2006 and performed at prestigious venues such as The Royal Festival Hall in London, Royce Hall in LA and Sydney Opera House.
Alongside their stage shows, Steve also shares directorial credits with Luke on their multiple films and commercials and alongside Luke has been recipient of several prestigious nominations and awards for his work in this field.
In 2010, Steve and Luke purchased The Old Market Theatre in their hometown of Brighton & Hove. The venue opened a year later after extensive refurbishment and now plays host to an eclectic mix of theatre, music, comedy and art and provides support and opportunities to various local artists. A befitting and serendipitous chapter in the lives of Steve and Luke who first performed together in the very venue they now own and manage.
In 2015 Steve and Luke were awarded a joint honorary Doctor of Arts from University of Brighton in recognition of their major contribution to music and performance