Composer Ethan Lewis Maltby was frustrated to see skilled percussionists take a back-seat in orchestras.

So, he decided to create a production which would put them firmly in the spotlight.

"They love getting out there and shaking their asses," says Ethan, himself an award-winning percussionist. "I wanted to give these great musicians the chance to show off their full range of skills, rather than just sit at the backing banging stuff."

Noise Ensemble is a high-energy musical show, which features ten percussionists using more than 75 instruments to perform a contemporary score composed by Ethan, also the show's director.

"People just think it's drums and wonder how drums can be interesting for two hours. But the thing with percussion is there are so many instruments. There are tuned instruments to add melody and harmony, so we weren't limited at all.

"Musically, it's not any specific style. There's no 'here comes the jazz number, here comes the Latin number'. It's more like a two-hour film score. There are big moments and small moments."

Noise Ensemble has drawn comparisons to another beat-led show. "A few people have said we've ripped off Stomp but they're people who haven't seen the show.

"I suppose you could say we're like Stomp but with real instruments. We don't bang bins," says Ethan, who was the first percussionist to be named BBC Young Musician of The Year.

"In fact, when we went to the Edinburgh Festival, we sent the musicians out to bang scaffolding and hand out flyers but we ended up thinking that would be misleading."

Lighting, lasers, pyrotechnics and visuals are all part of the proceedings, however, as are choreographed moves. There is also a film which runs throughout, showing the musicians in their "day jobs". "They have to do a bit of acting, which was fun. It adds a comedy element and stops the risk of it being poncey or pretentious."

The show is going to Europe after its UK run and Ethan hopes it will eventually make the West End: "I would love it to become a rite of passage for percussionists - an 'after college I'm gonna try and get into Noise' kind of thing. It's a good learning process for them rather than being all orchestral.

"In the West End, there are so many shows about people who've already had fantastic careers - such as Billy Joel The Musical or Abba The Musical. People need to venture into the unknown.

"It's amazing that our producer has taken the risk with an unknown composer, unknown show and cast and we are very grateful.

"But people love it. My mum came and saw it with a group of National Trust volunteers all in their 70s dragging their heels but they had a great time.

"You could say it's a family show - but that makes it sound like a panto. We're not dumbing anything down but the show can be enjoyed by all ages."

Starts 7.30pm, tickets £12.50-£16.50. Call 08700 606650.