Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Harold Pinter Theatre. London
Witness a show that revives the art of clowning, drawing in those who’ve turned away from the circus tents of old. Slava’s SnowShow is a cavalcade of chaos and charm that invites you to leave the everyday behind and indulge in pure, unadulterated delight.
Slava’s SnowShow brilliantly creates a world of wonderment and fantasy that transports the audience to a joyous, dream-like place where a bed becomes a boat in a storm-tossed sea, a child walks in amazement inside a bubble, a web of unseen cotton envelopes the audience, before a snowstorm whirls around the auditorium, leaving you ankle-deep in snow.
Slava’s SnowShow has been touring the world since 1993, the child of Slava Polunin it is a blend of make-believe, humour and spectacle. A delight for the entire family it shows the full art of clowning but not as we know it.
I first saw this show 15 years ago, and it completely changed my life and view of what theatre could be and the impact it could have on you as a person. Slava truly is a master of his craft, he shows us that clowning isn’t just silly slapstick, it can be poetic, dramatic, beautiful and heart-breaking all at the same time. There is no ‘language’ used in the piece, except physicality, we see how a subtle shoulder movement, or a shuffle of feet can portray a message so clearly.
The show is made up of a series of vignettes, there is no over-arching story, there are no real ‘characters’ except for ‘Asissai’ a yellow clothed creation played by Slava himself, along with an exact doppelganger and a troupe of more shabbily dressed clowns in green coats, and although they are all unnamed, we feel so much for the people we see before us. They each have their own personalities and quirks which are shared with us over the course of the evening.
Without giving too much away, this is a show like nothing you will ever have seen before. It would be easy to assume since its basis is in clowning that it is simple and only appealing to children but that is not the case here. It is a show for everyone; there are moments of intimacy, particularly in a goodbye segment which we have seen copies of elsewhere, but none are as impactful as here, where a hatstand, coat and hat are used to portray a beautiful love story.
There are epic moments of theatrical magic such as an immersive blizzard underscored by Carl Orff’s O Fortuna which is breath-taking to experience. I would recommend coming back a little early from the 20-minute interval as the troupe of green-coated clowns create chaos and joy throughout the auditorium. Don’t plan to rush out of the theatre afterwards either, you would miss out on the joy of as an adult, being allowed to play and experience pure joy as huge balloons are pushed out from the stage and bounced around the theatre. There are snow (confetti) fights, joy and laughter filling the space for around 20 minutes after the stage performance has ended.
Slava’s SnowShow connects an audience in a way I have never seen before. Slava himself says in the programme he loves theatre that grows out of dreams and fairytales, where spectators and actors create together. You as the audience are truly a part of the piece and it feels incredible to be involved. This is a spectacle of theatre that no words can do justice to, it must be seen to be believed.
You can book tickets to Slava's SnowShow, here.
Review by Rosie
**photo credit: Aya Rufin**
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