Slava’s Snowshow - Review

Reviewed by Regina Su
Slava’sSnowshow is a magical night of beauty and awe. I didn’t really expect anything and unless you really looked for an underlying subtext, there seemed to be little plot. A series of clowning sketches of slapstick, of children’s humour and of imagination allowed the all-ages audience to relive the wonder and awe of a child. The show is oddly satirical, clever and most importantly, very interactive. Above all else, this show is beauty unlike anything you’re ever seen. The theatrics, lighting, use of set, use of magic, all of these are stunning and awe-inspiring.

The performers from Slava’s Snowshow are part of a clowning troupe from Russia established in the mid 80’s by SlavaPolunin, who have been performing the Snowshowto sell-out audiences internationally since 1997. Being from Russia, the show is very eclectic and esoteric and like Eurovision, still accessible to anyone. Slava’s theatrical clowning company,has toured to comedy festivals internationally and has performed along Cirque du Soleil. Drawing upon comic-relief influences leading back to Medieval traditions, the show incorporates a range of movements, from Theatre of Cruelty, to Theatre of the Absurd and even pantomime, all of which at times pushed the audience into shocked laughter. Their fast-frantic lunacy can be likened to the gags of Charlie Chaplin and the clowns of the circus.

The show is non-linear, helter-skelter and hilarious and this totally confusing randomness is what gives the show its charm; in essence, it allows the audience two hours of imagination where nothing else matters, where the daily grind is left at the door and promptly forgotten. You feel happiness, contentment and you rewarded if you decipher any holistic meaning from the show and even if you don’t, the magnificent spectacle is more than enough. They re-create blizzards, rain, bed-time make-believe and they seem to defy the limitations of the stage and theatre, performing things you thought were impossible. They’re not focused on acrobatics and, they don’t need to. They’re comedians who treat everyone with lip-syncing Italian Operas, then fighting arachnids. As much as I try, I can’t retell this experience. It’s without spoilers and it’s indescribable. Even if you know what’s coming out of the sporadic darkness next, it’s always a surprise, an enjoyable one.

Two words of advice however- don’t leave at intermission as the fun hasn’t stopped in the theatre. Secondly, this show relies on clowning, so don’t attend if you’re clauraphobic.