Stomp, the international performing group who makes music with household items, are buying Brighton's derelict Astoria cinema for almost £1 million.

It is part of a remarkable success story for Brighton performers Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, who have risen from street buskers in their home city to become international stars.

Stomp's Brighton-based production company, Yes/No Productions, has paid £900,000 for the cinema in Gloucester Place, London Road.

Yes/No confirmed it was in the process of clinching the deal but declined to give exact details of its plans for the site.

It has been estimated between £5 and £8 million will need to be spent on the former cinema to restore it to a top theatrical or arts venue.

The cinema closed in May 1977. It later became the Coral Social Club and then a bingo hall but neither was a great success and it fell into disrepair.

The Astoria Moving Picture Trust, with former chairman of Brighton Council's planning committee Nimrod Ping as an adviser, was successful in getting the cinema listed as a Grade II protected building last year.

The trust has been campaigning for the former cinema to be retained as an arts venue.

Mr Ping said: "It is an excellent place for live performances and its space should be used for that purpose. We are pleased the building is being bought by a successful Brighton-based performing group and we hope they restore it to a popular entertainment venue as it was in the past."

Stomp has made an amazing impact on the international entertainment scene. The group of eight musicians and actors use dustbins, plumbers' plungers, brooms, and even a kitchen sink in its act.

The performances cross all language barriers and the group has become a phenomenon throughout the world.

A spokesman for Yes/No Productions said: "We are not in a position to say what our plans are for the building. We are in the process of concluding a deal and will make an announcement shortly as to our plans."